If this year has touched you organize Christmas Eve dinnerWhy not make our kids part of something so laborious, but at the same time endearing?
If you are still a baby, you may simply limit yourself to observing the preparations and the excess of color in the decoration of the table and some changes, as is my case, in the arrangement of the furniture or the appearance of new elements such as flowers Easter, the tablecloth and napkins with Christmas motifs or the replacement of the daily dinnerware with a more special one. Surely you realize some of the changes.
But if your child is already around 2 years old or older, you can commission small tasks to him alone or propose to help you in those preparations that do not hold any risk and that are sure to be fun, while learning a lot of things about Christmas and life itself.
We're going shopping
We have already talked on occasion about how children like to play shopping. I don't know yours, but mine loves to accompany me to the supermarket and help me with the purchase. He is fascinated by the fish market and especially the live seafood because he 'bites' and I always carry a small bag where I put something very light and so he has the feeling that he takes weight off my way home.
Looking at Christmas Eve dinner, I usually take you only to scheduled purchases, those that can be done the previous days, because, although I know that he would like to accompany me on the 24th for seafood, the crowds and long waits are not the most suitable for children of any age, unless you have no choice.
So, items such as nougat, bagels, soda ... we buy them together, while fresh produce or wine and digs the soil I take alone.
Decorating the table
There is a lot of things they can collaborate on. Place the tablecloth and napkins or the centerpiece, while we decide together which place each family member will occupy, it is the most fun.
If you already scribble some letters you can help him write the name of all the relatives who are going to attend dinner, so that he places them in their corresponding place at the table. When the guests see them with their almost illegible lyrics, they will immediately recognize the author and congratulate him on his effort and work and they love that.
Leave the sharp objects and cups for the end so that it cannot be damaged, you will place them later, and encourage him to center, align or arrange in an orderly manner, since for him it supposes an extra learning besides having fun.
Today we have a new click in the kitchen
Here it depends on the menu of each house, but surely in most of the tables there will be some entrees, canapés or skewers in whose elaboration, plating or decoration the child can participate.
Thus, for example, you can place the bagels for the pate, help to place the Iberians, place the nougat, marzipan or polvorones on the trays ... in short, those tasks that do not involve any risk and always accompanied by an adult.
And most importantly, recognize your help. When the family arrives, we must tell everyone the work they have done and how the preparations and dinner have been prepared among all, highlighting the concrete tasks of the child.
Definitely a Christmas Eve dinner in which the boy or girl will have learned to work as a team, to arrange objects with order and precision, improving your fine motor skills, they will have had fun in the kitchen and have seen all their efforts recognized with the greatest of gifts, the congratulations of the whole family and a lovely day with them.
In Happy Learning | Celebrating Christmas with children: their first letter to the Three Kings
