As if I was not convinced years before, Christmas comes in slow motion for children and breakneck speed for adults. The fact that it is now December and I’ve already missed the local pet store holiday photo session, vexes me. Yes, missing the opportunity to pixelate the image of our two cats wearing a Santa hat and reindeer horns makes me lose a bit of sleep. And time is ticking.

Our son is already asking for specific loot for his stocking, and asked for a gingerbread house two weeks ago. Since when do you ask for stocking stuffers? We still haven’t stowed away the Halloween gear. We all know the jig is up after being busted on the Santa scandal in recent years (we still cannot bear to talk about how the Tooth Fairy sham has scarred us), so my theory is that because the preparations for Christmas no longer need to be cloak and dagger, I’ve gotten lazy.

This is the perfect opportunity to dial it down a bit. I will not Scrooge my way through this month, but the true intentions we all harbour, but get sucked into repressing each year, is what this time of year is about. It’s about kindness, good spirit and goodwill to all. Isn’t it? We all end up being a little nicer to one another, and that’s all well and fine, but should we not extend the same courtesy in April?

I am not suggesting we boycott the holidays. It’s religious for some, and sheer materialism for many. In our home I am going to suggest we take the time to recognize that it is not about assisting the retailers in achieving their highest sales of the year. I am going to resist the perennial urge to overspend because I feel that I should. It will not make me a better parent, and it will not make me a better wife. I do admit that in years past, I have been coerced by the cheery decorations in the stores to make me think that what I am feeling is the holiday spirit. But what I am really feeling is the result of the marketing experts’ clever subliminal bullying to spend, spend, spend.

This year I plan to make good on asking my family to participate in giving back to those in the community that have little to be thankful for. Serving in a soup kitchen, donating time, hokey as that might sound, really does a soul good. I have done this a few times in the past and actually included my family in an event last season. It’s a win-win. It’s one of the few times that, as a parent, you get immediate gratification. The realization in a child’s eyes, that some people live with so little or nothing at all, is humbling. The observations they make and how wrong it is that some have so much and others so little, is a blunt confirmation of the society that we are living in and the system that perpetuates it.

I will keep up the practice of cooking special dishes and tossing up a few decorations, but the heart of the season will be recognizing those with a little or a lot less than we have. Encouraging handmade gifts or gifts of experiences together is also a great way to keep the dogs of materialism at bay. The real gift, as a parent, while not instant, is that when my son reflects back on family holiday memories, they won’t be dominated by plastic things in plastic boxes, but by values that we cared to instil in him so that he may be a better person. So, Merry UnChristmas. May the time you spend with your loved ones be filled with more laughter and less things.