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

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I'm not sure if my nine year old believes it not. However hearing him talk to his sister about Father Christmas makes me think either he does or he's continuing it for her. That's what makes it joyful for me. The small flicker of sibling love.

The best thing for me as a parent is the children's Christmas school play. They love dressing up and I always love making the costumes. I can't sit through without shedding lots of tears. It is an age of innocence when they are that young, and they are so sincere. Just lovely.

That even though they are theoretically getting too old to be super-excited by Christmas, they are still very partial to a chocolate Advent calendar and dutifully open their door/window on alternate mornings (it being virtually the first thing they do when they get up!).

The nativity plays seeing them dressed up.

seeing their little faces light up with all the sparkle and opening presents

I really loved the traditions we made up ourselves for me and my son to enjoy Christmas! For several years the two of us went out to the local forest to choose our tree and work out how to get it in the car before getting home and decorating it, that was a lovely outing! Then there was always time for snuggling with some Christmas cartoons or films and the tin of sweets!

Getting excited about seeing their faces opening their presents, even the weird and wonderful requests
Looking forward to spending the day together, everyone off school and work

The utter enthusiasm for anything Christmas or sparkling which sadly is lost on many adults.

The joy in seeing the decorations and the lights on the tree for the first time.
The joy of hot chocolate after walking in the cold delivering cards.
The utter joy of a glass of mulled wine in a Christmas market.
I could go on and on.. We love Christmas!

My grand children just love choosing and decorating our tree, and I never change a thing - they notice! (Apparently the other grandma always rearranges hers when they've gone home! No need, they do such a splendid job).

putting food and drink out for Fr Xmas and rudolph on xmas eve

They still get excited even though they don't believe. They love the tradition like having a Christmas party, having family for dinner.

My two are young at 3.9 and 18 months so its still quite a lot for them to take in. However my eldest gets caught up in the magic of it all and absolutely loved going to get the Christmas tree last weekend. He loves looking at all the lights in our road and he keeps asking when we can put the mince pie and milk out for Father Christmas. He hasnt asked for a single present and is just content with the feeling of Christmas, and I love that. Next year I am sure it will be I want this and I want that!

simple the smiles on their faces. Recently my daughter ( 17 ) said that for her , the "cheap tat" presents were more important than the man expensive ones. long live poundland

My son knows that every Christmas we have a HUGE family party every year, as we all can't be together on Christmas Day itself. So when it gets to November he yells "Party soon! Awesome!" He doesn't get presents on this day, so it's the simple fact he gets to hang out with his cousins, see his aunts and uncles and grandparents, and just eat lots!

Cutting out magazines, brochures and leaflets with everything they want and adding it up in pennies! Including a bit of maths in the festivities!

Singing Jingle Bells

The way their excitement grows as we get nearer the big day, especially when they break up from school

Getting more excited over the cheap little gifts in their stockings!!

my children are 17, 16 and 3 years old and i see it in each one of them in different ways. My youngest loves the lights, decorations and any mention of the jolly man in red. My older children are more concerned with advent calendars :)

The amazement on my daughters face... The thing I enjoy most is when she sees the teeth marks and the remains of the chewed up carrots that the reindeer have left behind... It is simply priceless!

Mine is watching the innocence in her eyes. She doesn't have to worry about money or the future or whatever else that faces us adults. Instead, she can live happily without a care in the world and be truly excited about santa and reindeers and presents. I wouldn't want it any other way ♥

i love seeing their excitement over the little things, like counting christmas trees when I'm driving or singing carols and opening their stockings on christmas morning

it is their sense of magic, the true belief the all their wishes will come true, and seeing their best acting in their nativity, I cannot told back the tears when they sing silent night.

Its so lovely seeing how excited the kids get at Xmas over everything, advent calendars, meeting Santa, our elf on the shelf and their nativity plays. They definitely remind us that its such a special time and seeing them just believing in the magic of Xmas is really really wonderful.