With so many events and activities in North Texas it is easy to spend some quality Christmas time with children. Especially after divorce the one on one time spent among children and their biological parents is important. When families blend and there are step parents and siblings, new traditions are a great way to grow as a family. During the Christmas season in Dallas & Fort Worth there are endless opportunities to spend some of that quality time with your own children and while developing stronger relationships with the children of a new partner.
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With your natural born children, the one on one alone time with your son or daughter is valuable. They grow up so quickly and the changes in life that come with divorce can distract our attention as parents. While making sure our children are well-kept and have what they need, their development into teenagers and young adults is greatly enhanced by their self-esteem, positive self-image and feeling secure with each one of their parents, regardless with which parent they reside.
When parents remarry a man or woman with children the blending of families is something that requires great care and attention. Stepchildren can easily feel like they are part of a package deal. Making them feel important and special is good for everyone. The variety of fun times and memory making activities are great for your natural born children and step and adopted children.
Fun Ideas and Activities for Spending Quality Christmas Time with Children of All Ages:
- The Gaylord Texan, For a Light Tour or For an Overnight Stay
The Gaylord Texan resort in Grapevine is a Christmas destination for local North Texans as well as friends and family visiting from out of town. The Christmas light displays, giant trees and nutcrackers are something to behold for anyone who enjoys a Texas-sized Christmas experience.
With Christmas hotel packages and events offered through the Gaylord Texan, a Marriott Hotel, you and your children can stay for an overnight or weekend and enjoy a fun vacation-type getaway without leaving town.
- Trains at NorthPark and Recognizing Charities Like the Ronald McDonald House
You don?t need to be a child to appreciate The Trains at NorthPark Center, an amazing toy train exhibit that benefits Ronald McDonald House of Dallas, which provides temporary housing for families with sick or injured children. Talking about good health, charity and supportive families is a natural conversation to have when explaining what the Ronald McDonald House is all about.
When you and your son or daughter compare notes about which train exhibits are your favorites, you all may visit about the amount of time, craftsmanship and creativity necessary to build such grand toy train displays. The fine details in the various exhibits show how much work can go into a favorite hobby. What hobbies interest you and your children is something out of the ordinary to discuss, a great bonding opportunity.
- Christmas Shopping and Ice Skating at The Galleria
Everyone has someone on their nice lists and finding the right gifts can be a challenge. You and your children can feed one another ideas for gifts for family and friends. Especially when you don’t know what different aged children are interested in, your son or daughter can be a great resource, while they also give you hints about what to get them for Christmas.
After also having some lunch or dinner, you can increase your level of fun and laughter by strapping on the ice skates and taking a few spins around the big Christmas tree at in the middle of the Galleria Mall. Stopping to take a picture helps memorialize the memory that you can talk about for years to come.
- Board Games and Nostalgia that Never Gets Old
Kids playing online video games with others is a different experience than clearing a table and setting up a classic board game like Monopoly. Children may find certain aspects of the classic board game to be quirky and out of date, but that is what can make it a fun game. Drawing the ?bank error in your favor? card can lead to talking about the way we all used to manage bank accounts before technology. Talking about manually balancing checkbooks can be a fun discussion and bonding moment.
- Movie Dates
Timeless Christmas movies and the new blockbusters are fun for kids and parents. There are several new theaters in North Texas including a new Alamo Drafthouse in Denton where you can go see The Grinch as well as some of the new movies coming out.
It is also fun to stay home and watch some of the classic Christmas movies with children and talk about the themes in movies and your family memories. Some of the best Christmas movies to watch with your kids include: It’s a Wonderful Life (1946); A Christmas Story (1983); Home Alone (1990); Frozen (2013); The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992); and A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965). Get some popcorn, turn off the ringers on devices and download one of these classics.
Mark L. Scroggins Frequently Talks About the Importance of Quality Parent-Child Time
The Scroggins Law Group monthly podcasts focus on divorce and family law issues including children’s issues. As founding and managing divorce attorney, Mark L. Scroggins frequently talks about the importance of spending quality one on one time with children and always working on your relationships with them, never taking them for granted. With your divorce or custody questions or needs, call Scroggins Law Group, serving Dallas, Collin and Denton County at (214) 469-3100.
Before you know it, your children are grown and starting their own families and no matter how much individual time you have with them, there are many things you can do to spend quality Christmas time with children.
