Hearts at Home is a Christ-centered organization that encourages, educates, and equips women in the profession of motherhood.
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| Taming the Christmas Crazies |
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By early December we're all so wound up, especially our small children, that it seems legitimate to wonder if we'll all survive til Christmas is over. How do we keep ourselves and our families from the Christmas crazies during the Christmas season? Here are some simple suggestions: First, rearrange things at your house:
Then, refocus. In our culture Christmas has become a secular celebration, at least in part. Many businesses count on the months from October through December for their annual profit margin as shoppers buy everything from gifts to favorite foods to airline tickets. It stands to reason, given the need for profit, that advertisers push as hard as they can to capture our business. Christmas is also, mainly, a Christian religious holiday. If your family belongs to a church, your children may take part in a Christmas program, or participate in a project like Operation Christmas Child where children help prepare a shoebox of gifts for children who otherwise won't receive any. Encourage your child to turn her exuberance and energy to these projects rather than focusing on her own wish list. Choose Christmas activities that reinforce your values and beliefs. Try these ideas:
Finally, reframe the holiday as a time to give.
We are all susceptible to the Christmas crazies. They manifest themselves differently according to age: small children get hyper; adults just get tired. Impulse control disappears. Rearrange, refocus, and reframe for the kind of Christmas season you can celebrate with joy. Holly Schurter is wife to John and mom of eight, grandma of nine, and a volunteer with Hearts at Home on the publications team as well as the radio team. She works as a free-lance writer, and in her spare time likes to read, bake, and play in the garden. |

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We can change the world inside our homes. Take the gift of this moment and make something beautiful out of it. Gloria Gaither
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North Central Conference
November 12-13, 2010
Rochester, MN

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