I would love to have the opportunity to have this discussion with a group of year 7 & 8 students sometimes. I think this age group is a good indicator of what is real for them because they are in the process of thinking for themselves and although they are still strongly influenced by what is practiced at home and what their peer groups are practicing they enjoy having the opportunity of discussing topics such as this.
Although parents would really like their children to enjoy Christmas as quality time to spend with the whanau is this what really matters to our children? I had this discussion with my 3 youngest children, one who is 15, another 13 and the youngest 12.
The 15 year old believes that it is all about spending time with the whanau but not at the expense of what they are involved in (with hers being waka ama at this time) so that means that we are all with whanau while she returns home early to go back to practice for the nationals that are coming up in the middle of January 2009.
The 13 year old just wants to have a good time and isn't too fussed about where that is or who is involved in it but he does enjoy being with his cousins, older siblings, aunties and uncles. If it gives him a chance to either go hunting or fishing then he is in and ready to go. If it has anything to do with actually thinking about a plan then he would prefer to follow the leader (who is usually his younger brother).
The youngest one, the 12 year old, although he enjoys getting the presents and all the rest that comes with Christmas, he just really wants everyone to get together and have fun with each other. He said to me today that he thinks his dad and I should just give them all money from now on and they can buy themselves something on Boxing Day, during the sales, so I might just take him up on that.
Personally, I think the giving is very much alive in our whanau but its keeping it in perspective that we need to revisit, so guess what I will be focussing more on in 2009 with my darlings.
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