Comments on: Christmas Letdown and how to avoid it http://www.milehighmamas.com/2009/12/10/christmas-letdown/ Denver parenting, with altitude Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:04:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Danielle http://www.milehighmamas.com/2009/12/10/christmas-letdown/#comment-7883 Danielle Fri, 11 Dec 2009 05:36:16 +0000 http://www.milehighmamas.com/?p=8343#comment-7883 The two years I felt completely let down were the years I knew exactly what I was getting. My brothers and I were awful about finding gifts before Christmas. One year all of our presents were returned and the only thing we got were alarm clocks. You would have thought that would have taught us a lesson....nope. Some years later my mom put the Christmas gifts out before Christmas. We were old enough to know the capabilities of anexacto knife and a little more tape. Enough said....it was a lousy Christmas and the last time I ever looked for my Christmas gifts! The two years I felt completely let down were the years I knew exactly what I was getting. My brothers and I were awful about finding gifts before Christmas. One year all of our presents were returned and the only thing we got were alarm clocks. You would have thought that would have taught us a lesson….nope. Some years later my mom put the Christmas gifts out before Christmas. We were old enough to know the capabilities of anexacto knife and a little more tape. Enough said….it was a lousy Christmas and the last time I ever looked for my Christmas gifts!

]]> By: Lori in Denver http://www.milehighmamas.com/2009/12/10/christmas-letdown/#comment-7882 Lori in Denver Fri, 11 Dec 2009 03:56:46 +0000 http://www.milehighmamas.com/?p=8343#comment-7882 JoAnn, your family treasure hunt sounds WONDERFUL. What a great way for your parents to make it more about the experience than the thing. Some have visions of sugar plums. Mine are more along the lines of 30-something... Amber, when you're married to the Lord of the Gourd, you're allowed to overdo it a bit at Halloween. Thanks, you two :-) JoAnn, your family treasure hunt sounds WONDERFUL. What a great way for your parents to make it more about the experience than the thing.

Some have visions of sugar plums. Mine are more along the lines of 30-something…

Amber, when you’re married to the Lord of the Gourd, you’re allowed to overdo it a bit at Halloween.

Thanks, you two :-)

]]> By: Amber Johnson http://www.milehighmamas.com/2009/12/10/christmas-letdown/#comment-7881 Amber Johnson Thu, 10 Dec 2009 20:15:22 +0000 http://www.milehighmamas.com/?p=8343#comment-7881 You. Are. Brilliant. And this is soooooooo true. For me, I don't suffer so much from the Christmas letdown but rather, Halloween. Yes, I do have an obsession. :) You. Are. Brilliant. And this is soooooooo true.

For me, I don’t suffer so much from the Christmas letdown but rather, Halloween. Yes, I do have an obsession. :)

]]> By: JoAnn http://www.milehighmamas.com/2009/12/10/christmas-letdown/#comment-7880 JoAnn Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:15:44 +0000 http://www.milehighmamas.com/?p=8343#comment-7880 Growing up, I LOVED Christmas. We went carolling, took cookie plates to people, and food to shut-ins. I grew up on a farm in the Midwest, and money was tight. There were four kids in my family, and we rarely got a lot of gifts, and NEVER got everything we wanted. For us, the dreaming about all the cool stuff was just as much fun (if not more so, because there wasn't the let down) as if we would have gotten everything we wanted. My mom was an awesome gift chooser, and I cherished every gift I got as a child. We also had a lot of hype around the gifts. Mom would disguise each gift and put things that would rattle inside to throw us off the trail. One year, Santa left us clue-hunt. We got a clue that led to another clue that led to another clue. We ran all over the house figuring out the riddles. It was awesome. I never felt the let-down. The hype was all about the element of surprise, and because we didn't have much, what little we got was so special. Because the surprise was the biggest part, we all knew where she hid the gifts, but NONE of us looked. The thought of ruining that surprise was just dreadful. Well, now that my comment is longer than your post, I'll leave it at that. May you and your kids find something that fills the void this holiday season! :) [And, I'm thinking Season Two of Thirtysomething just may do that for you. Just kidding.] Growing up, I LOVED Christmas. We went carolling, took cookie plates to people, and food to shut-ins. I grew up on a farm in the Midwest, and money was tight. There were four kids in my family, and we rarely got a lot of gifts, and NEVER got everything we wanted. For us, the dreaming about all the cool stuff was just as much fun (if not more so, because there wasn’t the let down) as if we would have gotten everything we wanted. My mom was an awesome gift chooser, and I cherished every gift I got as a child.

We also had a lot of hype around the gifts. Mom would disguise each gift and put things that would rattle inside to throw us off the trail. One year, Santa left us clue-hunt. We got a clue that led to another clue that led to another clue. We ran all over the house figuring out the riddles. It was awesome.

I never felt the let-down. The hype was all about the element of surprise, and because we didn’t have much, what little we got was so special.

Because the surprise was the biggest part, we all knew where she hid the gifts, but NONE of us looked. The thought of ruining that surprise was just dreadful.

Well, now that my comment is longer than your post, I’ll leave it at that. May you and your kids find something that fills the void this holiday season! :) [And, I'm thinking Season Two of Thirtysomething just may do that for you. Just kidding.]

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