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| |    Elementary Schoolers: The Perfect Holiday Revelers by Susan E. Davis reviewed by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. Guileless, loving, enthusiastic, and energetic, elementary schoolers participate with gusto in annual holiday happenings. In addition to being old enough to understand the true meaning of the holidays (e.g., Christmas celebrates Christ's birth, Kwanzaa celebrates African-American heritage, New Year's marks a time of fresh beginnings), they're mature enough to want to put their own stamp on the festivities. They're also changing dramatically from year to year, and the savvy parent will allow the family's traditions to grow and change along with them. Here are some ways to get the most out of holidays during these wonder years: Follow their lead. Does your son want to make handmade cards each December? Encourage him, and make it a family affair. Does your daughter think that pineapple juice with Maraschino cherries is the perfect way to toast the season? Include her beverage of choice in the family feast. Letting them take the lead in some activities will ensure that they enjoy the holidays even more, and shows that you care about their opinions. Keep to the basics. Children are apt to be sticklers for tradition at this age, and you're likely to incur their wrath if you don't serve Aunt Betty's cranberry sauce in the snowman bowl or neglect to string the Christmas lights just so. Reading the same holiday-themed books, watching certain videos, and playing a favored collection of music gives them a sense of comfort and tells them that all's right in the world. This doesn't mean that you have to do everything exactly the same every year, but you should take care to preserve the rites and rituals that they cherish the most. Go with the flow. Conversely, your children are changing rapidly during their school years and you should be ready to discard even beloved traditions when the kids outgrow them. Dragging a nine-year-old to sit in Santa's lap at the mall may cause embarrassment, not the sense of keen anticipation as it had in previous years. If your seven-year-old decides she hates the smell of horses and the cold entailed in sleigh rides, you don't have to insist that she goes along on the annual ride. As your children grow and begin to assert opinions of their own, let family harmony and not an autocratic adherence to the past be your guide. Insist on the important traditions, visiting Uncle Bob in the nursing home, going to church or temple, serving a meal at the homeless shelter, but let the small stuff slide.
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