Anticipation of Traditions

“Anticipation can be as much fun as the tradition itself.”⁣
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Christmas is so close. Nouarie is mostly excited to see her cousins at Grammy and Papa’s.⁣
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Tonight she told me Santa can mail her a present. She doesn’t want him coming to the house.⁣
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Her fear of Santa has made me rethink some of my own childhood Christmas traditions I had happily anticipated sharing with my kids.⁣
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Santa was so exciting I couldn’t sleep on Christmas Eve. I loved him and dreaming of the elves working in the North Pole. Nouarie wants none of this.⁣
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In fact, she began shaking and her heart raced when she just saw Santa from afar a few weeks ago.⁣
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It’s okay. Santa just may not be a big thing in our house. Her childhood is not mine. Instead we’re focusing the gifts she’s picked out for others.⁣
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I want her to look forward to Christmas instead of worrying.⁣
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On a more positive note, what holiday tradition do you anticipate every year?⁣
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Quote: No Regrets Parenting: Turning Long Days and Short Years Into Cherished Moments with Your Kids by Harley A. Rotbart M.D.