Christmas Nativity – why ‘I’m over it’!

I love Christmas! I’m more excited for Christmas than both of my children are, or so it seems. But, I’ve always loved it  – as a child, married B.C (before children) and now more than ever with both of my 2 children.

What do I love about it?

Well, it’s mainly the festivities that surround it. It’s not the ACTUAL day. That’s always a little underwhelming. The bits I love .. It’s all the coziness. The lights, the decorations, the good spirit, everyone’s jolly about having well-deserved time off, the Christmas markets, the Christmas songs on the radio, the magic of Santa for the little ones, Christmas TV & Movies, nostalgia of being little once (I couldn’t have asked for a better childhood) and the general togetherness of everyone! The atmosphere at Christmas feels quite electric. It’s the universal Christmas shut down.

There’s really not much I don’t like about Christmas. Except for when it’s all over – I hate that part! I always suffer with January blues. I have a huge Christmas comedown and then really struggle in January and February to feel motivated for anything. Sounds serious, but actually I just need to have a little pep talk with myself usually on the 31st December saying something along the lines of  “…. it’s over, now get on with enjoying another new year and all it has to offer”.

 

What’s this blog post got to do with Nativity plays you might wonder. Well, it’s another thing to do with Christmas. My children are also in the thick of this merry old season. Going along with all the hype. Mainly hyped by me of course. But, honestly when I became a mum, I never knew how Christmas would just get stepped up a level. Or ten levels. Just the nursery/school Christmas plays alone are enough to make you go weak at the knees.

So this year, Sajjan’s nursery are doing ‘Whoops A Daisy Angel’ as their nativity. I’ve seen the play before as Shreya’s performed as a snowflake when she was his age in this play  as she also went to the same nursery. When I say performed it’s more ‘a deer caught in headlights situation’ where they’re almost starstruck but still feel they’ve got to do something, so after several polite prompts they begin to sing something that resembles their songs.

This particular nativity is one of the best nativities I’ve ever seen and I’ve seen 3 different ones now with Shreya growing up (the last 2 being at school). She doesn’t have one this year *sobs quietly* as her school only do them for the first 2 years.

So, I had been thinking that it would be such a shame to not experience Sajjan in his first nativity play – to think all the other children in his year at nursery would be part of something and he wouldn’t. To think, that he wasn’t having the same experiences as his big sister did at his age. That I wouldn’t get to hear him sing or dance about in a little costume.

But, then I got asked the question the other day by a member or staff at nursery “would you like Sajjan to be in the nativity as we thought he could be a sheep” …

I love that they’re so inclusive regardless of his situation. I mean he’s been able to access most of what his peers have been, his nursery plan isn’t too dissimilar to the other children even though his development is slightly ‘off piste’ at the moment.  To be asked felt like a real honour and to some this may seem so ridiculous, but I felt so touched. There’s lots of reasons why a Christmas nativity would be completely ruled out for him.

I think to be asked, to feel that he would be included was enough for me. That feeling of missing out on an experience that I should have had with our little boy at this age, missing yet another celebration/milestone/memory on his timeline felt all too disappointing. Especially at a time like Christmas!

However, these past couple of days I’ve accepted that he probably won’t be in it. He won’t be the cute little sheep we all want him to be. But that’s ok! He won’t be in it because he doesn’t want to not because he’s not included. His choice! But he had a choice!!

He wouldn’t even try on the costume the other day at nursery. But, he’s happy listening to all the children rehearsing and enjoying watching the commotion around him whilst they prepare – we know all the songs, as like I said we are all so familiar with this play. Even Shreya remembers some songs from her good old nursery days. I’m good with that if he’s good with it too.

At home his little face lights up when we sing the songs because he can’t believe we know them too. In the privacy of his home comforts he happily enjoys listening to the songs, showing us his dance moves but he’s not ready for a stage yet and I 100 per cent get it – which is why ‘I’m over it’. I’m over being sentimental about these things. There’s a bigger picture, and there’s a lot to be said for not getting bogged down with all the Christmas hype! As much as I do absolutely frigging love Christmas. HO HO HO xxx

(All photos here are from last Christmas)