Holiday Traditions You'd Quit

[Jessica at Parenting.com]

In the December issue of Parenting, we asked parents "What holiday tradition would you quit doing if it weren't for your kids?"

Some parents said "I'd never bake another Christmas cookie" and "I'd think twice about lighting the candles on our menorah for all eight nights -- which leads to eight weeks of scraping wax!"

What holiday tradition would you drop (and why), if your kids didn't love it so much?

[craftyashley]

I would scrap Thanksgiving entirely. I don't really like Turkey, and I hate football.

[brandie1127]

My grandmother makes us sit in a circle and watch each other open gifts one at a time. Starting with youngest first - I think too much emphasis is placed on the gifts and not enough on just being with the family. I would like the gift giving to be less formal - it would be less stressful then. In recent years she has "relaxed" on the dress code or maybe just gave up entirely. We all used to be in real frilly dresses with lots of crinolin (sp?) and all - I AM NOT doing that to my child!

[ashley.gardner]

My family finally changed a little last year... The adults just drew names and had a $$ limit... I've enjoyed that one gift so much. As far as the kids go, they need to understand that it's about family and not so much about the gift giving... it's pretty annoying actually. I don't mind crowds, but the whole "waiting in line @ 3am" the day after Thanksgiving is a little to much for me.

[Grandma Shelley]

I would ditch the real tree and invest in a really nice artificial one. It has always been tradition for our family to have a real tree. Now days they are nearly $100 for a real tree. My youngest is 19 and still living at home and still insists on keeping the tradition. My married kids even share their disappointment when I mention getting a fake tree! The day will come....

Grandma Shelley
www.grandmasmoderndaytrunkoftreasures.blogspot.com

[c_helwig89]

The only thing I would change is that I'd make everyone come to our house! Even if that means I have to cook & clean! It's really tiring to make my SO get up (he likes to sleep in, and I like to get up bright & early.... and soon we'll have a baby to get up & ready, too!) and drive to my Mom's house & eat (she lives an hour away), then my Grandma's, and then drive back into town to my Dad's, and then go to his Mom's, and then to his Uncle's, and maybe his Grandma's. UGH It makes me feel like we can't even enjoy ourselves because we're rushing around so much!

[I'm mommy not you]

I would give up wrapping paper. Who really remembers what it was wrapped in anyway......

[craftyashley]

I would give up the lavish dinner. All I really want is Pizza Hut anyway!

[djasinski]

I think I would give up Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner. The cooking is so much work!!

[brandie1127]

I would give up cards! I hate them. I never send them or give them and I throw away all the ones that are sent to me. The only person I want them from is my DH because he spends a really long time picking them out and they are always sweet and appropriate for whatever is going on in our lives! But for other people - I think they are a giant waist of money!

The eception of course is the photo ones! I like getting those and will probably send those once the baby comes.