The society in which we live makes it hard for adults to remember to keep the focus of Christmas on Christ, let alone our poor children.

They are constantly being bombarded with the world’s view of Christmas. Toys, food, parties, busyness, and yes even Santa .

While all of these things are fine and good in and of themselves, {even Santa can be good!} where they become a problem is when they cloud out the true meaning of Christmas.

A baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manager.

A God-Child sent to save the world. Christ.

It’s all about Jesus Christ.

So what can we as parents do to help our children keep Christ in Christmas?

1. Talk about the birth of Jesus…A LOT. The more you keep your kids engaged in dialog on the true meaning of Christmas, the more relevant it will be to them. Ask them questions. Encourage them to ask you questions. Encourage them to share the true meaning of Christmas with their friends/family members.

2. Celebrate Advent. Advent is my favorite time of the year. It’s a beautiful time of the year where we prepare our hearts and our lives for the birth of our Savior. Discover Advent together as a family. Purchase an Advent wreath, place it in a prominent location in your home, and speak often of the significance of the four candles {the colors and what they represent}.

3. Purchase a kid-friendly Christmas or Advent devotional. I recommend My Christmas Wish: a Devotional Prayer Journal for Kids.My Christmas Wish: a Devotional Prayer Journal for Kids is a 15 day journey in which your children will discover the true meaning of Christmas through scripture reading, prayer, journaling, crafts, baking, service projects, games, copywork, puzzles and MORE! This fun, colorful printable eBook is 69 pages and is designed for children ages 4-12, but can be adapted for all ages. The 15-day journey is divided into five sections based on the virtues of obedience, love, joy, charity and peace. Each daily activity is based on the WISH acronym. W = Write: various journal entries based on the daily prayer prompt and scripture reading. I = Investigate: your child will dig deeper into scripture and the true meaning of Christmas traditions. S = Share: your child will share what they’ve learned that day with others through reading, serving, or other fun projects. H = Hear: your child’s scripture study for the day will be solidified as they listen to you read a corresponding passage to them.

My Christmas Wish: a Devotional Prayer Journal for Kids normally sells for $4.99, but if you use the discount code CHRIST, you can take 25% off! Click here to purchase your copy today!

4. Focus on giving. This one will put a definite change on your child’s perspective of Christmas. It is completely against what society teaches us. Society makes children think Christmas is all about receiving every single gift on their Christmas lists. Our job as parents is to make sure that our children truly understand that it is better to give than to receive. Let your children to extra chores to earn money to buy Christmas presents for family/friends. Deliver Christmas treats to local public service organizations {fire department, police department, local hospitals, etc}. Adopt a family in need. Participate in Operation Christmas Child. Be creative–the possibilities are endless.

5. Have a Jesse Tree! This is a great family devotion. If you haven’t heard of a Jesse Tree, here is a GREAT explanation along with some free printables to create your own Jesse Tree.

6. Sing Christmas hymns. Traditional Christmas hymns are so beautiful. Our family is known to listen to Christmas hymns all year long, but during the Christmas season, you’ll almost always hear them playing at our home. Don’t just play the songs, talk about them. Discuss the lyrics and the meanings behind the songs.

7. Practice what you preach! How is your heart, Mom? Are you ready to celebrate the birth of our Savior? Your little ones are watching you. They need to see you in prayer. They need to see that you believe Christmas is about more than shopping, parties, and gifts.

8. Have a birthday party for Jesus. This is one of my most favorite Christmas traditions. Every year on Christmas Eve, amidst all of the Christmas baking, we bake a birthday cake for Jesus. Then, after dinner, we read Luke’s account of the Christmas story, sing Happy Birthday to Jesus, and eat the yummy cake that my children decorated themselves.

9. Learn about St. Nicholas. We do Santa Claus in our home, and my daughters have fun with it. But, they also know that Saint Nicholas was a real man who gave to those around him. Have your children research St. Nicholas, discuss what they find.

10. Make it last longer than a month! If we want our children to keep Christ in Christmas, then we need to keep Christ in our hearts and our homes all year long. We can’t expect our children to focus on Christ during the Christmas season if we don’t put an emphasis on teaching and leading them to Christ the other eleven months of the year.