Mystical Teachings Of Jesus: At one and two years of age, it is easy to burden children with more than can handle. Don’t expect much out of them at that age. There will be time to really leave an impression on their little minds, but don’t try do it all too soon. At ages 5 and 7 they really just soak it all in, but at 1 and 2 years, it’s fun they want.
My suggestion; if you can keep their attention long enough tell them “Jesus Birthday is coming and it’s called Christmas.”
Then be sure to tell them that everyday. Just when you’re dressing them or changing diapers, tell them like it’s a big secret with a low voice like whisper like it’s the next greatest thing they ever knew about. Wide-eyed excitement will add to their excitement too. Kids will really remember all that fun in your face and voice about this thing called Christmas/Jesus Birthday. Get some of those really nice Christmas storybooks with color pictures. A picture is worth a thousand words they say, right?
Don’t read all the words, just flip the pages adding YOUR words to keep them from wandering.
One good activity, tell them your going to make special cookies only during Advent. Ones made of the Nativity and Jesus and so forth.
Tell them if they are good they will get to help “and” to eat them.
Make perhaps a small batch enough for them to have just ONE cookie per day. But enough that they can help you with them and so forth and then you can talk about who the cookie is. Like St. Joseph, or Mary, or perhaps the most special one of all, the baby Jesus.
At that age cookies will keep their attention and making a small batch ahead, you can just pull out it once a day or bake up just one for each of you. This way they won’t be cookie-ed out, but will hopefully see the signifigance. Perhaps make it a yearly tradition of making these special cookies but only during advent. At least when they turn 5 and 7 years old they will remember it and the whole thing will become a happy memory.
As they get older you can tell them your going to bake these special cookies to give to others and that they must not eat them. That if they are good they will get some Christmas morning when the Christ child comes, or something like that.
Personally I always like to add a bit of mystical specialness to Christmas.
By making Christmas a special mystical time – like letting them believe the Christ child actually came to bring things. A nice legend tale for them to start with that will help them believe the harder things about their faith later on.
