As a new mom, with tiny humans underfoot, I was aware enough to appreciate the magic of those early Christmases. The messy handprint ornaments, the lines to see Santa at the mall, and the 5am wake ups to race downstairs to see if the big man delivered on their requests.
I was secretly dreading the time when my kids were older and perhaps (how can I say this?) Christmas would somehow feel less special when the “magic” wore off. I thought, what could possibly be better than tiny little feet bounding down the hallway in search of Santa?
Well, it turns out, there’s lots and lots of things that make this time with teens so incredibly special. Let’s face it, there was a lot of magic back then, but not a lot of sleep.
Reasons I Love My Teens
Can I admit something? All that “magic” is exhausting. And it’s with great relief, I can report that now that our kids are in their teens, this season is just as special. It may feel even more special because they get a hand in how we shape our family traditions. I would never wish away those early years, but I’m so grateful for this stage.
On this week’s podcast we talk more about this (and we got to hear from some of you!) but here are the main reasons I love our teens during this holiday season:
1. They are really, really helpful.
I struck gold with a daughter who loves to bake and had a genuine interest in wrapping presents. Seriously, she’s asked if she can wrap all the presents this year. She even went to Target and picked out coordinating paper and bows so the gifts look aesthetically pleasing wrapping under the tree. (Score.)
She also wants to bake treats for the neighbors and already has recipes picked out.
My son helps keep the tree watered and, while he has zero interest in baking or wrapping, he gladly participates in the monster cleanup effort that follows those activities.
2. They’ve created their own traditions.
Penn and I brought our own family traditions to the holidays, but I love that our kids have created their own. Their favorite (I think) is taking their bikes up to a nearby shopping center and buying gifts for the family with their own money.
They spend the day picking out gifts, load them all in their backpacks, then get lunch together before riding back with their haul. They’ve done this for the past several years and they’ve said they will continue their biking adventures even when they are home from college.
3. They are aware of price tags.
Perhaps it’s because they’ve saved their allowance and bought gifts on their own, but they are far more aware of the expenses incurred this time of year. In fact, for the last two years, my son has only requested a gift card to buy a video game then asked that we give the rest of his gift budget to charity. (I credit the awesome YouTuber Mr. Beast who does great charity work for this inspiration. Penn Charles is a loyal fan and has been influenced after seeing Mr. Beast do such impactful work for charities.)
My son knows he has all he needs and he isn’t into “stuff”. Even my daughter, who has a long list of fun beauty products she’d love to try, is aware that a mountain of gifts under the tree isn’t practical or realistic.
4. They are so much fun to be around.
Of course we had the best time together when they were toddlers, but c’mon! Is there anything better than an actual conversation with your teen? The kind that dissolves into laughter that makes your sides hurt.
5. We sleep!
Everyone is a kid on Christmas. Even I get a thrill running down the stairs to see the magic of the morning. Our kids used to wake up around 5 am, even if we told them that Santa needs until at least 7am to ensure deliveries. Now? They totally understand that Santa needs sleep and coffee. They aren’t exactly sleeping until noon, but we definitely get to sleep until 8am. It’s heavenly.
You can listen to our conversation on why teens these days are pretty cool at any of the links below.
