"Watching Christmas movies are an essential part of my holiday season experience. Certain classics made their way into each milestone surrounding the holidays with my family growing up. The night we put up our tree, we often watched Home Alone or Scrooged to welcome in the season. Watching The Muppet Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve became a tradition because, as the song says, “there’s only one more sleep ‘til Christmas.”
The holidays do change once you become a parent. From putting up decorations to buying gifts and orchestrating Santa visits, the onus is now on you to recreate some of the holiday magic for your kids you remember from your own childhood. Sharing a Christmas movie can be a connector from your past to your present, and my family did enjoy Home Alone the night we put up our tree this year.
With the new lens of parenthood, you might find yourself relating to Kevin McCallister’s mom more than Kevin as she frantically tries to get her whole family out the door to make their flight. So, we wanted to share some other parenting truths from our favorite holiday movies that highlight the frustrations, but also the fun of the holiday season.
When it’s 20 degrees outside and your kid tries to tell you they don’t need their coat or mittens:
A Christmas Story
How you feel when you’ve finally finished all of the holiday shopping:
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Then your kid changes their wishlist on December 24:
The Muppet Christmas Carol
When you spend all day decorating:
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Then your kid moves, breaks, or plays with all of the ornaments:
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
When your kid is awake at 10 p.m. on Christmas Eve—and you still have to wrap all of their presents:
The Santa Clause
Then, they finally fall asleep:
This Christmas
And you head downstairs:
Love Actually
Only to realize you also have to assemble their new play kitchen and/or bicycle:
Elf
But there’s always that moment when they remind you why you do it all:
Scrooged
Because they make the holidays that much better:
It’s a Wonderful Life
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from The Everymom!
Home Alone
