This is the only thing I learned from my experience of bringing up our kids, all of whom are adults now.
You can't make your children happy.
You can't force it upon them.
And Christmas is the time of year when you try hardest to do just that.
It's at its worst when they're little. That's when you want them to be excited but not too excited. This is an emotional state they're not equipped for. All that pent-up anticipation all too easily spills over into tantrums, even tears, which then upsets the adults.
This didn't happen all the time but I well remember the times that it did. It was always when we were trying to make it perfect.
So, have yourself the kind of Christmas you want.
