Invite People In
Especially Santa
One more week. Seven more days. Ho Ho Ho!
I do love Christmas. But after living in two different countries, where each has its own traditions and cultures, I have always made the holiday our own, as there are no rules or regulations set by number 10, that we needed to follow.
When I was young, we opened cards with cold, snowy scenes and watched movies of sleigh bells and people in woolen hats and flakes that fell on their noses. Then we would run outside, in our short shorts, my mum running after us, with suncream, as we jumped and curled into a ball, trying to get the biggest pool bomb we could muster!
On Christmas day, there was never a hot Christmas dinner or cuddles under duvet covers while we watched movies and feasted on celebrations chocolate, instead, we would head to a sunny resort and jet down water slides, and lie in the heat after a picnic feast or a braai (aka bbq).
After switching from the Southern Hemisphere to the North, I loved the change. The cold winter matched the fantasy Christmases that donned the movies and cards. I knew that Santa would wear his wooly hat in this weather and down his warm milk and cookies, before stripping off to his board shorts as he journeyed to the home of my childhood.
This year, as we build up to the big day, I can only feel excited. I am doing something we have never done before, but as they say, “If you are too scared to go to the excitement, let the excitement come to you” (Well I am not sure if that is a saying, but you get my drift)
Rhys is scared of the flashing, over-the-top, glitzy tradition that is displayed when you want to go and see Santa at his Grotto. A tradition that is scary when you have sensory processing sensitivities and wish it would be taken away and just leave you with the big chap.
So this year, I called in a special favour, and Santa is leaving the Grotto and paying a special visit to our home. In Rhys’ safe environment he will be able to see Santa (or not) and do it his way. Things could be interesting.
Never feel like you need to adapt to society’s traditions. Tweek them. Change them. Create your own and make it work for you. As a kid, we swam and suntanned during a holiday that is marketed with snow - and our Christmases were as amazing as ever. So on Christmas day, you can eat pizza and watch the same shows you watch every day, no one is judging, and if they are, screw them and just do it your way.
Make sure you stay posted because Santa is coming to visit us - well for an hour at least!
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Video of the Week
Christmas is often a sensory nightmare. Watch below to understand all about senses and why a sensory diet will help control meltdowns and feelings of frustration.
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Coming Up Next Week
It’s Christmas so #doityourway !
