Hello and Happy Holidays! My name is Traci Gaffney. I am the mother of three children, and I am excited to have the privilege of writing The Family Forum column! Before I begin, I would like to wish Tara Rodi and her family well in their new adventures in Washington State, and thank her for sharing with us over the past two years.
With Christmas being just around the corner, I thought it would be appropriate and fun to share with you a simple, inexpensive, yet priceless Christmas gift that we have been giving to our children for the past ten years. You just might want to try this! It is called
You and Me Kid! cards. You and Me Kid! cards can be made out of old or new business cards, 3×5 cards, or any other card stock paper that you choose. They are labeled with the words “You and Me Kid!” and are decorated! They are designed so that kids can just pick up a card, hand it to their parent (or someone else), and have quality one-on-one time at their fingertips! It’s fun to decorate them with sparkles, glitter and markers! You can surprise your kids by making them yourself and putting them in their stockings, or you can make it a family art project. A fun thing to do with them also is to make January cards, February cards, March cards, etc. That way, your kids keep track of which month they are in so they can spend those mom or dad-time cards! It sure feels great when my kids hand me a card. It reminds me to slow down and spend some extra time with them. And, they feel good because it tells them they are important to me. We both win! It takes only a few minutes to fill up their love tanks and they are on their way again, ready to face another adventure. Now, if they happen to catch me at an inopportune time and I really can’t stop in the middle of what I’m doing, I let them know that I must complete this project, and they are next. I make a timed commitment to be with them and I make sure to keep it. (Your ability to do this successfully will depend on the age of your child.) As my oldest son has gotten older, I give him cards with specific activities. He might like to go to the movies, or have his favorite dinner made, or a variety of other things. I change the cards to meet the needs and age of each child. The key is the relationship. Kids want and need to feel loved. I have found quality time to be one of the most valuable ways to meet that need.
You and Me Kid! cards are an enjoyable family tradition in our home. If they make their way into your holiday plans this season, I certainly hope you enjoy making them and you enjoy the together time that is created through them.
May your family have a holiday season blessed with love, peace and quality time together!