I have great news: You do not need expensive toys to build memories.
I have vivid memories of the smells and sights of the holidays. My mom was a great baker. The blue lights perfectly placed around our house by dad reflected on the white snow. Children performed at church on Christmas Eve and were given a goodie bag. We opened our gifts by the fire on Christmas Eve and played games and ate great food on Christmas Day.
Our own children were eager to help put up festive decorations. I will never forget the wonder in their eyes as they waited for holidays to arrive; the look of anticipation as they watched us open gifts they crafted for us. The memories came even in years we did not have much to spend.
Seeing the results of building childhood memories and the outcome of not taking the time to build memories is giving me the energy to build memories as a grandma. Five years ago I was quite tired and actually thought about which decorations I could perhaps delete that year. That same night, one of my music students said he could hardly wait to see our decorations again. He mentioned that our house was his “Christmas†since he did not have any decorations at his home. I regained some of the energy to decorate. The following Saturday, the first Saturday in December, was our annual Nana-Bapa Christmas night, and I was so glad I had put up all of the decorations. Our grandchildren went from room to room looking in awe at the lights. They knew they would get their stocking with an activity in it. They set their table with their “china,†we watched “Frosty the Snowman,†and after their bath, they got their new jammies and automatically posed for me in front of the family Christmas tree. After reading the Christmas books, we tucked them in and prayed with each child.
Putting up the decorations was worth it when I saw their reactions. I was reminded that at 5, and even 3, they were already building memories. At the end of the evening, Jackson commented that tomorrow, he would be helping his mom and dad with their tree. I could imagine two tired parents hauling out the boxes and getting ready for their children to build memories in their home. Traditions carry on.