LisaTX wrote:
How do your kids feel about no Christmas tree or do they know yet? I did not want to do a tree at all last year and I don't want to this year, but I think we will this year because my mom will be here and she'll probably want one. Plus, I'm outnumbered by dh and the kids. I didn't think dh cared much about it until I mentioned not doing the tree.
We have eliminated halloween and I talked with the kids about why and ds kind of grasps it, but still doesn't fully understand. We also did without Easter baskets for the first time this year and the kids did not notice or care, lol! It was so nice. The Christmas tree is going to be the hardest. After getting rid of other stuff, the kids have asked over and over if we are still doing the Christmas tree, like they need reassurance. It's sad really, since it has nothing to do with Jesus.
This past Christmas, the kids received WAY less presents than any other Christmas. They only got a few things. Every Christmas, they would still want MORE presents after the tons they already got! This Christmas, they were the most content they've ever been on Christmas. Less really is more. Kids used to only get 1 or 2 presents for Christmas, anyways, before the world went crazy. I'm glad we have downsized our Christmas's. Getting them too much makes it so they will never be content with what they have.
Well, honestly it's the older ones I 'thought' I'd have the problem with, but they are also very smart kids, so when we discussed not having a tree last year, they were a little dissapointed, but not too bad. We actually decided to get rid of the tree just a few weeks ago while packing up to move. I told the kids we would be getting rid of the tree and that it's because it doesn't really have anything to do with Jesus anyways, and they agreed! I know they are a little sad not to have the tree to put all the cute ornaments on, but we agreed to figure out a way that they could still hang them up. It's just picture ornaments that they have made over the years.
We have been down scaling for a few years anyways, so I'm sure they saw it coming. They actually prefer we do fun things as a family then get stuff, so I guess we have been doing something right!
Lisa, your kids are young, so although they mifht not completely understand WHY your making these changes, they also probably won't remember any different after a few years. My older 2 out of 6 are the only ones who dressed up for halloween, the older 2 do remember, but are glad we don't anymore and the younger ones don't really care. Same for easter baskets, only the older 2 ever got them and they don't miss them either. Now, if we were to get rid of the food, there would be issues! All of our kids LOVE having big meals for those holidays, and so we will always do that. As for halloween, we used to hand out gospel tracts, but the kids coming to the door scared our younger ones, so now we watch Martin Luther in hiding from the kids outside and we have gone to a small reformation party in the past. It's just another day for us, except we either have to be in hoding or we hove to go somewhere to avoid the door knocking. Even with our lights out, people try to come to the door.
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and almost all of our decorations. I plan on studying up on the Biblical Holy - days and replacing our current more "worldly" traditions. I just LOVE how the Biblical Holydays and feasts all point to Christ and I want my kids to see that. 
