Isn't it our responsibility as parents to

teach our children about the REAL reason for Christmas?? And to not just rely on the culture, public schools, society and all of the other capitalistic consumerism ventures?? (insert your own words there if you will)

I want my children to love and care for other people, not get all that they can get. I want them to be thankful for the 'stuff' they have and to be good joyful givers. My youngest daughter had a 'not so good' experience caroling with her little school friends on a fieldtrip. There happen to be a santa claus at one of the caroling stops and instead of giving a little something to all the children (hum, what a concept) he threw 'stuff' out into the crowd and my little daughter said to me, "Mommy, I just wasn't fast enough." (grabby enough, mean enough, greedy enough) What do you say to that! If I would have known that santa was going to be there, I might have decided to keep her home for the day.

Anyway, it's Jesus' birthday and my girls know that from their Ethiopian traditions. We are thankful for that, but there is the concern of the big fat man who wears the red suit. They've never heard of the gent before. We've had a few conversations about reality versus fantasy, (i.e. you know that deer, even reindeer don't fly, don't you?) So we are trying to be gentle, but yet instill the REAL reason for Christmas!! Today I asked the girls who they liked better, Jesus or Santa and I must say Jesus won hands down!! Go Jesus!!