Dad, It’s Time to Start a New Christmas Tradition with Your Daughter 🎅🏼🎄🎁

It was early December, 1967, in San Raphael, California. I was seven years old and my sister was five. The two of us, along with our dad, piled into our turquoise station wagon as we drove two hours away to cut down our family Christmas tree. Mom always stayed home to “get our presents organized for Christmas,” which I learned years later was a creative way to give Mom a break!

To pass the time on our road trip, Dad taught us Christmas songs that we all sang at the top of our lungs. Among them were “Jingle Bells” and “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.” (Yes, the musical options were very limited back then!)

When we finally arrived at the Christmas tree farm, we took our time walking around until Dad chopped down the perfect tree we’d all chosen. Then came the best part: We each got a cup of hot chocolate from the on-site trailer and we always drank every last drop until we warmed up our insides.

My sister and I would sleep most of the way home, which seemed like the perfect ending to the perfect day. Simple as it was, that tradition still holds a special place in my heart.

And though my dad experienced almost no Christmas traditions as a kid, somehow he stepped up and created a Christmas tradition for two little girls who had no idea at the time that their dad hadn’t experienced the same.

That’s all a tradition needs to be: Spending time with those you love while doing the same thing year after year.

And when it’s a dad investing in his daughter with a tradition they create together, it strengthens the core of her identity

As we prepare for Christmas next week, if you want to give your daughter the BEST Christmas present EVER, one she’ll always treasure and never forget, here’s a few ideas to get you started.

Remember there’s no need to spend a lot of money. This is about time spent with you. It’s not about overextending your finances. Of course you’ll want to invest something into your dad-daughter date…so plan ahead. Yet keep in mind that extravagance is less important than intentionality, time, and heart pursuit.

Here are 16 creative dad-daughter Christmas tradition ideas so you can get started today:

1.  Eat a meal at a restaurant that’s out of the ordinary. It will become “your place,” and years later, your daughter will always tie that place to you.

2. Write a letter to your daughter and read it to her on your date. Affirm her positive qualities and highlight her growth this past year. Once you start this tradition, she will look forward to it as a way to close out every year with positivity.

3. Go for a hike and take dad-daughter selfies along the way. You can even print one favorite pictures and frame it for her to open on Christmas morning.

4. Perfume Day—You know this one well by now since I’ve talked about it a lot. This is a tradition my dad started with me 25+ years ago. You’ll go  together to a store and let her choose any perfume she wants. Then every time she wears that scent throughout the year, she’ll remember your love for her.

5. Find a Place to Volunteer—Some dads and daughters love creating an experience together to serve others rather than purchasing something. This could be giving time at a homeless shelter, doing clean-up at the beach or a park, or serving at your church. Then celebrate afterwards with a fun food treat where you both debrief the experience.

6. Cook or bake something together—Spend time in your kitchen creating a tasty treat. Let your daughter lead the way as you laugh and learn from her while then enjoying the yummy fruit of your labors! You can eat it yourselves or give some to neighbors, friends, and family.

7. Create an art project—Find a paint-your-own-pottery store where you each paint something together OR walk around a craft store and find an art project to do together at home. You can also paint with acrylics on canvas or on ceramics or wood (where there’s already a shape to it) or string beads for a bracelet or necklace.

8. Discover a new book—If your daughter loves reading, this will fill her love tank to enjoy the experience of choosing a new book or two. If you have a bookstore in your area, walk the aisles as she chooses a new book, and bonds with you in her happy place.

9. Buy a piece of jewelry—If your daughter enjoys jewels and sparkles, buy her a piece of jewelry that she’ll wear and be reminded of you. Again, this doesn’t have to break the bank…so give her an amount to work with. Then remind her that she’s a jewel, a one-of-a-kind treasure.

10. Buy a fun game—Together, choose a board or video game that you’ll play together after bringing it home. You can bring it out every Christmas to enjoy time and again.

11. Go to a movie—Usually there’s at least one new Christmas movie each year, so you could make it your tradition to go to the theater. Then for an extra special experience, indulge in popcorn and candy!

12. Play with animals—If your daughter is an animal lover, find a fresh way to fan her love into flame by going to a pet store and playing with different animals or to a local shelter for rescue animals. For younger girls, she can draw pictures of animals from your adventure. Then put her masterpiece in a prominent place in your home.

13. Attend a Christmas concert—There are both free and paid concerts, ranging from public choirs to traveling groups. They’re always extra memorable if you dress up and go out for dessert afterwards. Be sure and open the door for her so you show her what a real gentleman does!

14. Let her choose any gift—If your daughter loves Lego’s, buy a Lego set and put it together with her. If she is enjoys playing with a certain doll, let her choose one to add to her collection. Be creative and get something she may not expect that has value to her (even if it doesn’t rank high on your list!)

15. Read the Christmas story—In this day and age it can be easy to forget the real meaning of Christmas. So why not lead the way in reading the Christmas story from Matthew 1 and Luke 2 in different translations. And it’s extra fun to act out the whole story as a family or use props to represent each character. Invite your daughter into the process of setting things up so your family can gather and participate. If you video record the performance, you’ll love playing it back in later years as you walk together down memory lane.

16. Go caroling—Dress up with hats and scarves; then sing carols on the porches of neighbors and/or friends. Or you can specifically focus on families who have experienced loss this year…or make arrangements with a local care facility to brighten the days of the elderly. If your daughter plays an instrument, bring it with you so others can enjoy her talents.

There you have it, Dad…a few ideas to get the ball rolling as you start a new dad-daughter Christmas tradition this year. And I’d love to hear from you so I can add more items to my list of ideas.

Bottom line: Whatever your daughter enjoys, do it with her as you initiate annual rhythms. Enter into the joy of celebrating what she loves this Christmas.

Merry Christmas to you all…from my heart to yours!

Scents & Sensibility: How One Gift Can Last a Lifetime

Per·fume [pərˌfyo͞om] · a fragrant liquid typically made from essential oils extracted from flowers and spices, used to impart a pleasant smell to one's body or clothes.
Day [dā/] · a period of twenty-four hours as a unit of time; a particular period of the past; an    era.
Per·fume Day [pərˌfyo͞om · dā/] · one of Michelle’s favorite days of the year, when her dad extravagantly spoils her by investing in the perfume of her choice, all with the goal of creating:  
1: a forever memory  
2: a wonderful sensory experience that that lingers throughout the year while serving as a reminder of her dad’s love for her every time she wears it.

I imagine by now that the majority of you have heard me talk about my annual adventure with my dad that we affectionately call “Perfume Day.” If you haven’t read about it in my book or on my December 2014 blog, it's here: Perfume Day: The Tradition Continues; it also includes some hilarious pictures from yesteryear (as documented by some lovely hairstyles along the way)!

My dad, to give you more context, had absolutely no template of how to be a father. His dad wasn’t present much in his life, and when his father was home he was often in a drunken stupor coupled with unbridled anger. When my dad was a young adult, his father--who'd been living for years in an empty railroad boxcar (how he came to live at the rail yard is a story unto itself), homeless and alone--died from the devastating effects of alcoholism. Years later, when my dad was in his late 30’s, he attended a conference where the men were given a challenge. In his own words my dad says, “We men were asked to think about ways we could be special to our kids, and since I had daughters I thought that perfume might be a good thing.”

And with that, Perfume Day was born.

This year I thought I’d approach the topic of creating a lasting memory with your daughter, from a new angle.

First, did you know that some experts say that our sense of smell is the strongest of our five senses? Not only that, but olfactory nerves activate the primitive part of our brain that stays in our long-term memory and corresponds to motivation and emotion. This intricate wiring in our noses means that a certain scent can activate a powerful memory because it often outlasts other memories that are carried by our other four senses.

Dad Translation: By creating an experience with your daughter now that revolves around choosing her favorite perfume, you are giving her a sensory memory that will last a lifetime. The perfume itself will provide a tangible reminder of your love for her because of the way that actual scent will be attached to her memory networks for the rest of her life. From this day forward, every time she smells that scent, it will remind her of you.

Talk about a deposit with dividends that exceed the investment!

Second, this idea of perfume being a memory that can last a lifetime is rooted in history, going back a lot farther than my dad (who has been doing this at Christmas with me for 24 years now!).

Whether or not you’re a Bible reader, I’m hopeful that you’ll find this story relevant in light of this theme. 

Just before Jesus’ death, his friend Mary poured expensive perfume on his feet, an action that was met with ridicule by some of the men who watched it happen. One in particular noted that it was a waste since the money could have been given to the poor. 

Jesus came to Mary’s defense and told them to “leave her alone” while highlighting that she actually was preparing him for his upcoming burial. He told them that the poor would always be with them, but He wouldn’t. Mary seemed to understand something deeper than those around her and she communicated with her actions that the One she loved was worth this kind of costly investment. 

I guess you could say that “Perfume Day” had its beginning between a woman and her Savior. 

Author Ken Gire says it this way:

"We all grow up and grow out of our childlike enthusiasms. But maybe something of the little girl in Mary never did. And maybe one of the reasons she meant so much to Jesus is because sitting at his feet and anointing Him with perfume came as naturally as children throwing their arms around their daddy’s legs and showering Him with hugs and kisses."

Mary’s response to her Friend tells me that He had previously invested well in her. 

Mary’s response to her Friend tells me that she enthusiastically responded back to Him out of a relational overflow.

Mary’s response to her Friend tells me that expressions of extravagant love involving perfume are something that God finds noteworthy of being recorded in His history book.

                 Perfume Day 2014!

Dad, I hope you will take steps this year to make Perfume Day a new tradition with your daughter. And if you’re like some of the men I’ve spoken with who say that their daughter “isn’t into perfume,” perhaps you’ll create a different kind of forever memory by together making a plate or bowl at a “Make-Your-Own-Pottery” store. (I realize that her sense of smell won’t necessarily be activated, but it’s still a great alternative as she’ll have that piece for the rest of her life as a reminder of you).

I wish each of you the best ending to 2015 and look forward to staying connected in 2016 as I continue bringing practical action tools that you can add your fathering toolbox.

But before I go, here’s a photo from Perfume Day last year, and a little to my own father:

"Thanks, Dad, for creating forever memories with me and letting me know I’m worth your investment. 

Love you, Michelle"

TO RECEIVE MY WEEKLY DAD-DAUGHTER FRIDAY POSTS VIA EMAIL, PLEASE SIGN UP HERE!