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For What It’s Worth by Dr. Melfi , Ph.D.

Ithink I write this same type of column every Christmas, but I can’t help it. You know how the old adage goes, pick your battles, when it comes to your children. Well I’m going to do one better. Pick your battles at any other time of the year, except for the holidays. Children are self-centered little people who have little understanding or respect for your time or money. ey want everything, and they expect you to make sure they get it. is type of attitude gets on parents nerves, and understandably so, but they’re only being kids. ey are hard-wired to whine, demand, insist, and all of it without any concern about your problems. ey don’t care about the rising cost of food or gasoline. Now, any other time of the year I might encourage you to make rules and follow them, but I like to give kids a free pass at Christmas. A er all, they only have six or seven years to believe in Santa, if you’re lucky, and only until they have to go out and make a living before they understand that money doesn’t grow on trees. But now, these little innocent children imagine the fun they might have playing with every toy ever made, and there’s no end to their imagination. Should you go broke trying to keep the magic in Christmas? Of course not. But if they only have a few Christmases to remember when they look back on their childhood some day, then shouldn’t all of them be perfect?

I’m not saying break the bank. Magic isn’t only about toys under the tree. It’s about time spent together, building a gingerbread house, or baking cookies, loading them with sprinkles, and yes, giving them sugar, even if it’s only this one time of year. It’s about buying the tree, making hot chocolate, setting out food for the reindeer, and dressing the elves each night. It’s about staying up much later than you ever thought you could, to build bikes and playhouses, and falling into bed only to be awakened an hour later by eager children to see what Santa brought them. Mostly it’s about no arguing between you and your spouse. Let them sleep with sugar plums dancing in their heads.

Too much excitement, mixed with too much sugar is a recipe for disaster, but it’s only for one very special day, and don’t we owe it to our children to let them be kids, and to believe that miracles happen?

For What it’s

Worth, I say, hold your temper, pray for patience, let the house be a mess, and let the kids whoop and holler all day long. Tomorrow comes soon enough, and rules can be enforced then. Try to remember what it was like when you were a kid who couldn’t fall asleep because you were too excited. If you were yelled at, I’m sorry for you, but don’t do that to your kids. If you were raised with parents as excited as you were, let yourself go back in time and be that child again. Your children will thank you for it. Holiday blessings from me to you. ank you for spending this year with me!