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DIY Christmas Preparations, or Is It Beautiful if It's Ugly?!

DIY Christmas preparations, or is it beautiful if it's ugly?!

 

They say if you've seen one Christmas movie in your life, you've seen them all - and I'm inclined to agree. In the romantic stories wrapped in a cloud of powdered sugar, patience always triumphs over haste, baking and cooking together and spontaneous singing are every character's favorite activities, and everything always turns out perfectly the first time.

But real life isn't like that! As parents, we know exactly how important it is to develop children's eye-hand coordination, we've heard about tactile stimuli, we understand why it's essential to learn how to use scissors, hold a pencil correctly, and recognize colors. We know how much we contribute to our child's mental, emotional, and physical development with each crafty afternoon. We just hate it!

Because everything becomes covered in glitter, glue, and ragged paper, because nothing turns out parallel, because the colors seem to mock each other, and because, in general... what's ugly can't be beautiful! Or can it?!

 

Let it go!

The biggest cliché we can say to each other, yet that's exactly why it's true. If you want to be happy, just let it go! Accept that everything we adults know about the proper course of the world is merely a conventional social construct. Some experience, a lot of fear, and a lot of 'this is how we do it.' However, children are not bound by these constraints. They are not afraid of what the neighbor will say, they don't care if their work pleases grandma's cousin, and they are not bothered at all if the pink polka dot pattern ends up next to the purple checkered one. Because it doesn't matter. Because that's not what matters.

 

 

Crafting Smartly

So, if you are one of those good parents who decide to roll up their sleeves and take on the dreadful task called crafting during this Advent season, heed some of my advice!


1. Safety first! No matter what you do, ensure the physical and emotional safety of your child! Have them wear a painting shirt, cover the table with oilcloth, choose safety scissors, and never leave them alone! Be present yourself to avoid accidents.
 

2. Let them decide! Do you feel that alongside chubby cherubs, colorful glitter, and glittery chenille strips, there is really no need for a little Jesus and three sheep on the card? You are probably right, but you will be better off letting your child decide. Parallel, angular, black-and-white are not necessarily the best.
 

3. Set boundaries! For children, boundaries are not only annoying but also provide security. Therefore, it is advisable to formulate in 3-5 simple sentences what you expect from them and what is forbidden during the joint crafting. For example, a rule could be that crafting is only allowed at the kitchen table, or that no matter how much someone has played, everyone must help tidy up at the end. But don't overdo it, as the joy of being together is the essence of the whole thing.
 

4. Let the little ones try! Naturally, while a five-year-old can cut and glue alone, a one-year-old still needs help with everything. Solve the problem with a bold move and give the little one who can sit a chunky crayon or erasable pencil, or play dough! This way, they can safely experience their own creativity without disturbing the older ones' creative process.
 

5. Enjoy! If the apartment already resembles an apocalyptic world, instead of getting nervous, try to immerse yourself in the situation and enjoy the fun together! (A glass of mulled wine or homemade punch might help, but you didn't hear it from me!)