‘Tis
the season
The holiday season presents plenty
of great opportunities to spend time
together as a family. My three
kids are now adults, and I am looking
forward to spending Christmas with
them this year. Of course,
there were times when the holiday
spirit wasn’t as easy to find
in our household. When all three were
teenagers, I remember when not a single
one of them wanted to bother with
family traditions. One year,
we had to practically drag my son
Brian to the living room to decorate
the tree. We negotiated with him
that he had to be in the room with
us, even if he didn’t touch a
single ornament. Not exactly the kind
of
thing heartwarming holiday movies
are made of! At times, we wondered
if it would be easier to just buy
a fake Christmas tree, toss some cookies
at the kids and let them retreat behind
their bedroom doors.
What kids will remember
Last year, sitting around the Christmas
tree my now adult children began to
reminisce about holidays
when they were young. They fondly
recalled piling into the car to drive
north to pick out and cut down a
Christmas tree or decorating cookies
together as a family. My wife, Monica,
and I exchanged glances
but didn't have the heart to remind
them what some of these experiences
had really been like. Instead,
we listened to them, and were reminded
again that raising kids is often a
delayed gratification activity.
While it wasn’t always easy,
it appeared that we had succeeded
in giving them something more
valuable than the latest Xbox or iPod.
My adult kids don’t remember
the specific presents we bought
them or the things that we failed
to buy on their lists, instead they
have something far more precious -
memories that will last a lifetime.
Thank you
This year at the Institute has also
generated plenty of great memories.
It’s the time of year to sit
back
and take stock of what we are grateful
for. Our MediaWise program, Switch,
helped families switch off
TV and switch on healthy activities.
Our speakers shared the MediaWise
message with people all
across the world. Hundreds of child
care providers in North Minneapolis
know what it is to be
MediaWise. Our online MediaWise Network
has over two thousand new members.
That’s a lot to be
grateful for. Thank you for your support,
your powerful parenting, your decisions,
your commitment to
kids, and your concern about our children’s
future. It means the world to us here
at the Institute.
Happy holidays,
Dr. David Walsh
President and founder, National Institute
on Media and the Family
P.S. My holiday tips
While the holiday season can be fun
and festive, it can also feel like
a hectic time with kids, made even
more daunting by two full weeks off
from school. Try maintaining holiday
traditions. While it’s okay to
modify plans or negotiate with your
kids, don’t let them convince
you that family time isn’t important. Click
here for more holiday tips...
