Tell Cadbury about the ways your children remind you of the joy in the festive season - £300 voucher to win NOW CLOSED

[JustineBMumsnet]

It's easy to be a bit of a grinch in the run-up to Christmas when you've spent what feels like months shopping, cleaning and preparing for it. The good thing is that kids have a way of reminding us what it's really all about, and Cadbury would like to know about the little ways your children have made you recognise the joy that comes with the Christmas season.

From excited visits to meet Father Christmas, to interesting homemade tree decorations and their boundless energy on the big day itself, Cadbury would like to hear how your kids have made you full of joy at Christmas time.

All those who share the ways their children remind them of the joy in the festive season in a post below will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 Love2Shop voucher.

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw!

MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

Another thing I love is the way they fight all year round, but at Christmas both want to spend all their pocket money on each other!

My kids have Advent calendars where you build up the nativity scene, and it's always a joy to see the random places things end up - we currently have a camel in the stable and an upside down palm tree in the sky.

We take out the big sack of Christmas books which my son loves! Now he's older he is super excited when they come out.

I love the way my kids remind me every year that it's about the little things. Yes, they enjoy the boxes and bubble wrap more than the gifts themselves but they also surprise me. One year I accidentally left the hoover out in the hallway on Christmas Eve and the following morning I was woken up to two delighted children playing with the Toy Santa had left them. 'It's a real Hoover, Mum!'

Hours of cleaning got done that day and I hardly had to lift a finger...

my boys sat down quietly writing a letter to santa. When I looked at it they had said that they were sorry to disturb him because they knew he was very busy. It brought a lump to my throat:)

I took my 3 year old son to a Christmas Tree Festival at our local church last weekend & it was a treat for us both! The look on his little face as he wandered round taking in all the lights, sparkles & ingenious decorations was brilliant! The church itself was really peaceful & we had a chat about the meaning of Christmas & spent some time looking at the nativity scene. Jesus wasn't there yet - in my ignorance I thought someone had pinched him, but was informed by a passer by that Jesus won't appear until Christmas Day - didn't blush much, honest!
He really gets it this year & it's so magical watching his excitement build, seeing the Christmas crafts he gets up to at nursery, decorating together & walking down our street in the evening marvelling at all the Christmas lights :) Really magical :)

I'm still recovering from the nativity. All the excitement and glitter. This is the first Christmas of dd really knowing what's happening and she just sees magic everywhere.

My toddler has her own Christmas tree set up in the dining room - It's hers and she can decorate it as she chooses - this year she has covered it in glittery ribbon and homemade painted pine cone baubles - it's actually really gorgeous!

We've done lots of home crafting and the magic she brings to Christmas is awesome - Loving her 3 year old enthusiasm

With the joy of Elf on the Shelof - finding my inner child thinking up fun things to do with the Elf each night and loving my daughters face when she sees him in the morning!!!

the nativity play at school always makes me feel festive

Seeing the delight on DS's face every morning as he sees the christmas tree.
DS unwrapping the books we've been buying since April for his book advent calender every day and either roaring like a dinosaur or making the animal noises.

Trying to work out why there's a man in bright red and a white beard holding something for him to unwrap.

DS seeing all the different trees and lights everywhere, he's utterly memerised by them all.

Every time I walk past a Santa's Grotto in the shopping mall, I'm reminded of my DS first Xmas and his first visit to see Santa. I have a beautiful photo of him with the biggest smile on his wee face.

Kids always take me back to my own childhood and you get to relive it all through their excitement. I have my 3 year old waking us up with his loud jingle bells singing when he wakes up -even that makes me smile

I love taking my DD for a drive to see Christmas lights in the neighbourhood. It's all gone a bit tacky round here but we both love it

Also I got all her Christmas books out at the start of December and we are all enjoying sharing those!

The fun they they get with the wrapping paper let alone what's inside!

Baking and making christmas crafts my kids absolutely love it.

My youngest daughter is very family orientated and she reminds us of how important it is to see our families, we are going away this year and wanted to leave the presents with grandma for everyone but she wants to visit everyone and wish them merry Christmas !

There smiles whenever they see christmassy stuff, lights, wrapping paper, trees - they love it all

The way they take a huge interest in the TV adverts and start dropping big and typically unsubtle hints

The belief in Father Christmas - it's so adorable!

My daughter's face when she's talking about the magic of Christmas she believes in x

The fact that they are so innocent, have such big hearts of joy and love, believing in every magical thing about Christmas without question!

Seeing how excited they are about father christmas

My children are older now. I miss the times when they were excited about Santa coming.

I love seeing how excited they are before Christmas. My daughter made me an advent calendar this year with little notes inside to tell me how much she loves me. It is really lovely and I look forward to opening it every day.