THE GIFT OF SHARED EXPERIENCE

For any parent during the holidays, the thought of gift giving is usually accompanied by a heavy dose of stress. So much goes into the final wrapped product. Producing a gift list, what to get for who, and putting the time into shopping, wrapping, and hiding the presents within a tight time frame sends shivers down the spine of the most seasoned holiday veteran. Stack this on the pile of parties, decorations, and trips and you have the recipe for a mental breakdown.

Any relief during this anxiety ridden time-period is welcome. Parents of gamers understand how easy it is to get gifts for them. A quick question reveals that they want the next installment in their favorite game franchise, or maybe a gift card to the gaming premium shop. Unfortunately, this also includes expensive gaming consoles every few years. At least with gamers, you know what you’re in for, but is this just getting them deeper into video games and away from a better relationship with you?

An easy rationalization parents fall into this time of year is thinking that vacation is a time for their kids to take a breather from school and let them game to their hears content (…their heart will never be content with gaming). With all the added holiday tasks, and the time the kids are locked away in their room, parents can feel even more isolated from their family. Maybe it’s time to get the family back together.

I don’t mean to stack more responsibility on top of your list, but what if you as a parent gave the gift of experience this year instead of gifting another gaming peripheral. After all, video games are the easy go-to present, but truly this is an easy way out for parents that keeps gamers in front of their screens. Is that what you really want?

The memories you want are not of wrapping presents until 3am the night before, rushing into busy shopping malls, or spending hours online negotiating shipping prices with yourself. Maybe this year, you plan for the family to do something together, and lighten up on the physical gifts.

ALL HOLIDAY ACTIVITES CAN INCLUDE THE FAMILY

Decorating the house doesn’t have to be done by yourself. Assuming you can keep the negative emotion and stress to a minimum, include people in the family to help with some of the holiday task list:

1.      NOTE: Make Screen Free Areas – Make specific areas of the house during the holidays screen free. Personal interaction in these areas are required. Keep it to areas where people spend the most time like the dining or living room. Maybe you’ll want to keep this rule after the holidays as well.

2.      Lights and Decorations - Have your kids help setup the lights on the outside of the house or help put the holiday trinkets around the house.

3.      Food To Bring The Family Together– Have the family help with making food. Bake some cookies, make some eggnog, or maybe have a special holiday dinner where everyone can join. Nothing brings people together like food.

4.      Make A New Tradition – Do you have a special holiday activity that is unique to your family? It doesn’t have to be anything spectacular. Rather, its simplicity could make it that much more meaningful. For example, some families leave cookies and milk out for Santa, or they’ll do a reading of the night before Christmas well,… the night before Christmas. Some families will light a fire and enjoy each other’s company in front of the comforting crackle. What makes these meaningful are the small bits of flare that each family incorporates into them. What do you think would be a tradition that would make it more meaningful for you and your family?

5.      Look to your Community – There are plenty of activities in your community. Search online for holiday events. There are usually activities being thrown by community centers, churches and neighborhoods like Christmas light shows, Santa’s village, and Christmas concerts.

6.      Shared Experience as a Gift – Gifts are always portrayed as a physical thing that can be unwrapped, but what about the gift of sharing an experience it can be a vacation, but maybe its looking toward the unknown together. Escape rooms, blackout dining, concerts, murder mystery dinner, sky diving all encompass taking a leap, but promising to take it together takes it to the next level. Some of the examples are lame or extreme, but it puts forth the idea that presents can be more meaningful if it creates a lasting memory you can point to.

STAYING TOGETHER REQUIRES INTENTION

The holiday season can be a source of separation for friends and family, but it doesn’t have to be. It may seem like more than you can handle, but take the risk and put forth the intention, and you may find that this Christmas was more meaningful with less presents and screen time.

As always, if video games have plagued you or your family for a long time, and you’re not sure what to do, you aren’t alone during this holiday season. Please contact me and we can get you on the right track away from the cyber prison.