Need Christmas Ideas or Traditions or Something Creative

I know this is a little late but if you live near the Milwaukee area....there is a neighborhood called Candy Cane Lane with great lights. I think it's about 12 blocks (just NW of 92nd and Oklahoma Ave.) and in the middle they collect donations for the MACC fund. I think they do this until New Years.

Stillwater houses in town at least are very nice. Also the not to far from there Dellwood mansion area. Take her to her favorite resteraunt on christmas eve if its open. Rent a movie. I have inly one child too and he too gets bored-he wants children around...I usually just ask him to direct the evening, and he is usually fine as long as I am with him the whole time!
Good Luck and Merry Christmas!

B.-

Merry Christmas to you! Hope this doesn't come across the wrong way... But I'm wondering if maybe you aren't too excited about the holidays yourself for some reason (past memories, feel lonely, only you would know) and your daughter picks up on this? Or maybe you are wanting a "Kodak moment" kind of holiday in which your daughter is radiantly happy and excited, and you are waiting for her to give this to you, and maybe she picks up on that...so therefore grudgingly participates in what you offer her?

Another thought is maybe you are being too "adult" in your ideas for how to present Christmas to her - what does she like? When she wanted to decorate the tree, why did that end up not being fun for her? Were the ornaments breakable so she couldn't be free to handle them like a child would? Were there rules about "small ornaments on top of the tree, big ones on the bottom" so it felt more like a rule-fest than fun? (That was from my childhood there, I hated trimming the tree!!!!!)

I don't think the specific "traditions" you do with her are what matter. I think what matters most is that your daughter sees that YOU truly like and value whatever it is that you are doing, you are having fun, and that you are having fun spending the time with her. Also take into consideration what would be fun to a kid her age - would a 1/2 hour ride in a car seat to look at Christmas decorations through a car window be fun for her? Maybe this would be fun for her, maybe not - you know her best. Maybe just reading Christmas books from the library, or watching a holiday video with a mug of hot cocoa and sitting in Momma's lap would be most fun. Also, perhaps try to include some of her or your friends - excitement is catching, you know!

Try not to stress out about it, and I hope you enjoy your holiday!

T.

Hi B.!
My kids are 1 and 3.5. The last few years my husband and I have gotten Chinese food on Christmas Eve for dinner, only because that was the only restaurant we found that was open. Now it's just tradition. Then after dinner, we all go out driving around looking at Christmas lights. It's a nice way to all be together, and the kids love all the houses. We don't even spend time in a particular area; we just drive and see what we can find. Good luck, and have a Merry Christmas!

C.

We invite my husbands sisters and my mother in law over for a simple meal(everyone usually brings a dish to pass). We play the uno card game,or any board game as a family. We laugh a lot during that game and after dessert We go for ride to see the lights in our neighborhood. We usually watch a christmas themed movie when we get home. One year we drove through an outdoor light display at a local hotel, that was a fun time.
maybe make some christmas cookies or a special treat with your daughter. It doesn't have to be complicated to be memorable. Wishing you and your daughter a happy holiday together! D.

When we were young we always went to a Christmas movie on Christmas Eve. Granted there were more family friendly movie to pick from 20 years ago, but it was always great fun. Sometimes we would go out to dinner (seems like there are enough places open on Christmas Eve) and then hit the movie. It worked well because the house would stay clean for company the next day and the kids got to pick the movie. You could do the same thing at home put on pj's, make treats and watch a favorite movie. Sometimes we go to midnight mass to sing Christmas carols. I don't think we ever made it through mass and sometimes we would come an hour early for Christmas carols and leave before the mass started because it was too late for the little ones.

I am like you, hoping to make the perfect Christmas experience for the kids, but sometimes just rolling with it is exactly what they want to do. Other ideas might be ice skating, working at a soup kitchen, visiting a local nursing home, etc. If it feels too lonely with the just 2 of you, get out somewhere and make a tradition that involves others looking for company! Merry Christmas!

this is kind of fun...get some roll and cut cookies and paint them up with different color frosting and toppings...
I use the tube sugar cookies to save time, and they roll and cut just as well as home-made (just be sure to keep floured)
and here's an easy recipe for frosting:
3 C powdered sugar
2 Tb. softened butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tb. milk (I always need way more milk than that, just put in a little more at a time till it's right...and remember food coloring thins it up a bit)
divide into five bowls then add red, green, blue, yellow food coloring (and leave one white)
grab some different kinds of toppings and sprinkles, lay out newspapers on the table, put it all out with paintbrushes (you trust wont shed) spoons, knives, toothpicks, whatever... throw in a nice Christmas CD and have fun!
how they look in the end is pretty unimportant...they will be sloppy and messy and probably have WAY too many sprinkles on them!!!! he he
Merry Christmas

my son is 4 and we do an advent calendar with candy canes. each day he gets to take a candy cane off the calendar and put it on the tree. also this was the first year that he and i decorated cookies together. and i know it will be something that will be a tradition for us. i know in the stores are ready to put together gingerbread houses-maybe soemthing like that to put together and bring to the rest of the family to share. try to have a merry christmas.

Hi B.,
I just got around to reading your request today so sorry for the late response. I think that Christmas has been so commercialized these days that many people find themselves in the same place you feel right now...not completely fulfilled. I'd suggest bringing it back to the basics. Talk about things with excitement and enthusiasm. Make cookies together and take them to the local nursing home or neighbor. Buy a special toy and deliver to a less-fortunate friend. Invite a few of her friends over and have a birthday party for Jesus...make a cake, sing to Him, talk about what gifts you'll give to Him this year (example: being nice to others, using manners, forgiving others, using talents He gave you, etc). What a fun tradition that would be!!! (even if it will be a belated party this year) Most of all, SHOW her by your words and actions that your are joyful and thankful and being with her is the best thing in the whole world. Merry Christmas!!!! -K.