How many days until Christmas? Santa says 40 sleeps!

It’s 40 days until Christmas!

But, with five weeks left of work, and the kids still at school, it’s hard for this mom to even think about Christmas.

I’m still focused on next week's school concert and story planning for the newspaper's last editions of 2018.

But, the store decorations, the avalanche of Christmas catalogues, the fast approaching Christmas Fair at the St James' Church and the special annual Christmas service of the local Dutch Reformed Church happening this very Sunday, remind me that Christmas is indeed coming.

With only 40 days left, I should probably light a fire under myself and get moving on the Christmas to-do list.

However, every year, as I start to think about our plans for Christmas, one question abounds, how can I make the day special for the kids?

If I can be honest, this mostly translates into what gifts I should buy them.

While perusing some online sites looking for gift ideas I happened upon an article that urges parents to seek gifts that nurture imagination.

To quote Albert Einstein, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.

For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world and all there ever will be to know and understand.”

Every parent chuckles when it happens. We spend hours searching for the perfect toy. Our child opens the package, pulls out the toy, and plays with the box. Why? Boxes serve imagination. Whether a spaceship, a bear’s den, or a laboratory - the box becomes what is needed for the moment. But, other options also abound. Tractor sets offer hours of spatial learning, story building and sheer fun. Comparable toys include Lego sets, building blocks, action figures, and plush toys. Don’t forget the books - whether mystery, craft, or non-fiction - books inspire children to enter other worlds and dream big.

With two children and a family who loves to buy them gifts, we've encountered a lot of toys over the years. We routinely cull to make room. The keepers are never powered by a battery.

But, in the tumult of Christmas buying, it’s easy to get caught in chasing the “hot” buy of the year or simply getting through a list.

But, I think one thing to remember is that gifts are all about showing our love. To communicate that love well, we need to speak in our child’s love language. Most people know Gary Chapman’s "The Five Love Languages." Recalling these in gift buying will probably help in ensuring that our efforts hit the mark. The five love languages are time, physical touch, words of affirmation, acts of service and gifts.

‘Acts of service kids’ appreciate the work parents put into Christmas and the experience, ‘words of affirmation kids’ need to hear praise for their efforts during the season. ‘Physical touch kids’ need hugs or tickle fests - even in the busy holidays, while ‘time kids’ need attention more than presents. I'm sure that if parents focus on these, children will feel the love - no matter what they find under the tree.

Lastly, consider experiences over things. A Christmas morning with stockings filled with smallish gifts followed by a day (or week) playing games or hitting the beach as a family create memories of loving investment in each other. What gift could be better than parents taking the most precious resource in existence and investing it in being with their children and building memories that last far longer than any toy?

We have 40 days. As toy catalogues flood mailboxes, a focus on nurturing both our children and our relationship with them should help us choose wisely.

Get your list going, then get back to enjoying the last the year has to offer before 2019 dawns.