23 Swindon Way
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Canada
R3P 0W2

The Greatest Gift of All

by Monica Gustafson

For those of you who are regulars with Winnipeg Parent you will know that every year at this time I write my “Monica in Toyland” article…this involves a review of what I think are the best toys on the market to develop language skills. It is great fun for me as I wander the stores and try out some of the latest toys. As I looked this year I became rather nostalgic. My children are grown and toys are an item of the distant past. But as I looked at the toys and remembered the years when we did play Santa to them, it wasn’t the toys we bought that I remembered. It was the time we spent with our two children over the holidays that brought a smile to my face.

So, as always, I would encourage you to buy toys that encourage imaginative play and provide language-building opportunities, however my suggestion of a gift this year is the gift of time. Think of it this way…time doesn’t cost you anything, the children are home for two weeks so it is plentiful, and time with your children is what memories are made of. Here are some suggestions to make your holiday memories bright.

Let’s start with the tree…a family expedition to buy a tree is always full of expectation and fun. How tall do you want it to be? Do you want a skinny one or a full one? Will it be a Pine tree or a Fir tree? How much do you want to spend? Our children always seemed to act like they were picking out a new friend for the holidays and when the right one was selected it was cause for a celebration of hot chocolate when we got home.

Decorating the tree can provide a wealth of opportunities for traditions and language growth in the area of basic concepts. From talking abut the order of decorating, what comes first, next and last to the decorating itself and the placement of ornaments on the tree, there are concepts galore to explore …higher, lower, above, below, right, left, top, bottom, centre, over and under. I can still hear our daughter’s voice, “Erik is clumping the ornaments again!” He thought putting all of his favourites in one spot was a great idea!
And if your child’s little hands are not quite big enough to help with the actual decorating then games of eye spy in front of the tree can demonstrate the concepts. “I spy with my little eye an ornament that is above the angel but below the reindeer.” What traditions can you start? Have each child can make an ornament for the tree with their age on the back. A digital camera can provide picture of your child that can be easily incorporated into the decoration.

One of our favourite family activities at Christmas was the building and decoration of a Ginger Bread House. If you don’t want to tackle one from scratch, inexpensive kits can be purchased at any grocery store. The assembly was always my job and the decoration was left to the kids. I noticed as the years went by how creative and meticulous they became with their decorating. But each year they had to co-operate and work together. A valuable lesson on its own! Did I inspire our daughter’s career as an architect? Her last ginger bread house was a model of a Frank Wright house entered in a Christmas competition for the firm she works for!

Another great thing to do is to just get out as a family, away from the TV and enjoy the sights and sounds of the season in Winnipeg. There are Christmas plays at the Manitoba Theatre for Young People. When our children were young we enjoyed many presentations of Robert Munsch stories by local theatre groups. Another memorable excursion is to take in the fantastic display at the Red River Ex grounds sponsored by the Canad Inns. Even if you don’t go to one of the professional displays, take a drive around the city and vote on your favourite house display.
During the day, go for a skate at an outdoor rink or tobogganing at the park, or get a group together and go for an old-fashioned hayride. A few families together can make it an inexpensive treat for all!

Above all take the time to talk to your children. Sit by your tree and with some Christmas music on, munch on some cookies and talk about your memories of Christmas when you were a child. I can guarantee you that what you remember involves what your family did together, not what you received for a present. Make the memories for your children…they will last a lifetime!

In closing I would like to thank our children, Kari and Erik, over the years you have made each Christmas bright with memories and I wouldn’t trade our Christmas moments for anything! Our joy now is that you both return to Winnipeg for the holidays to continue our traditions.
Wishing you, and yours, peace and joy for the holiday season.

Monica Gustafson is a Speech/Language Pathologist and the Author of 23 programming books for speech and language. After 34 years in the school system, she is now in full time private practice. Speech/Language therapy sessions for Preschool and School-aged children are available weekdays and evenings. For information on private sessions, phone: 896-3964 or email Monica.