Everyone has their own way of celebrating this special time of the year. As a busy mum I know we all want our children to feel the joy of a time like this whether you celebrate with the Easter Bunny or you tell the story of Jesus. However, as busy mums we need to do all of that but as simple as possible for our own sanity!
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I'm probably not your typical Christian parent when it comes to celebrating Easter and Christmas with my children, but I feel while they are young enough to enjoy the 'magic' that goes with the day I will incorporate it as well as teach them the true meanings of these celebrations. So yes the Easter Bunny and Santa join Jesus on these occasions lol .
I grew up with the teachings of the bible from as early as I can remember. With full knowledge in what Easter & Christmas was truely about . We ate fish on Good Friday to remember that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and we celebrated Easter Sunday with him rising again. However the Easter Bunny still came on Sunday morning and we basked in the joy of a good Easter egg hunt! My parents just made sure we understood why we really did have Easter . Believing in the Easter Bunny was no different to me believing in Disney characters, storybook princesses and amazing superheroes. Around the time of realizing they were not actually real was the time I grew out of the Easter Bunny and Santa . I was not traumatized. I didn't hate my parents. I didn't forget God. I was actually really grateful for the amazing fun memories they had given my sister and I. When I thought if how wonderful the celebrations had been I honestly couldn't wait to grow up and do the same for my own children! . . . and since having my own children its been a blessing seeing the joy in their little hearts with each celebration.
So How Do I Do A Simple Easter ?
When it comes to Easter I have 3 main goals ....
- Teach my children the true meaning of Easter
- Ensure they have some 'magic in their day whilst their still young enough to have it – see what my kids get for Easter this year from me and the Easter bunny on the VIP Lounge this week.
- Make it as simple as possible for me as a busy mum.
I really took to setting up some simple basic traditions for Easter weekend , making sure it all just wasn't chocolate and was suitable for different ages. Having a certain schedule for the 3 days helps me know exactly what I'm doing year to year without having to take up too much time planning. Because its so important to me to teach my kids the true meaning behind Easter, but to still give them the magic, I do put the effort into doing multiple things over the 3 days. I could just throw them some chocolate on Easter morning . . . but that just wouldnt be as fun!
On The Lead Up To Easter
Simple Activities - We do not go overboard with these but we do a few things we find around. The kids both have bunny ears and tail dress ups they have been having fun with and we are also decorating cookies. I'm on the hunt for a good Easter sticker book for Isabella as shes currently obsessed with those sticker scene books!
‘The Ressurection’ Activity & Learning Book - Another great option for families is Christian Blogger Amanda Oh’s book ‘The Ressurection’. Just like I mentioned at Christmas with the ‘Truth In The Tinsel’ book you can work through her books with your kids to learn all about the true meaning of Easter. The beauty of her books is that you can choose to do them at your own pace based on your own family needs, ages of the children and availability. Having children of her own she has put together great resources for the whole family.
Good Friday
Read Easter Books That Tell The Story Of Jesus - Currently I have The Easter Story - written by Rachel Elliot. When Joseph was younger (and now for Isabella) I don't necessarily concentrate on every word but rather make it more simple by explaining each picture in a way they can understand.
We Always Have Fish & Chips For Dinner - We talk about why we eat fish (white meat instead of red) and that is that the red meat represents Jesus dying on the cross. It's really just a symbolic thing but we do like to do it. I grew up in a Christian family and not every Christian does it, but I do. My husband’s family is Catholic and they always did it too. It's not a 'rule' people have to follow or your shamed. It's just something we like to do as a symbol of recognizing what happened on Good Friday.
Hot Cross Buns - Again this is a symbolic gesture for us in reference to Jesus dying in the cross. Of coarse we eat them on other days but on the Friday we talk about the top of the hot cross bun and what it symbolizes.
Easter Saturday
Talk About What Easter Sunday Means - The rising of Christ. We tell them that Easter eggs (egg shaped not bunnies etc) represent new life and that's what Jesus gave us.
Easter Gifts From Us - this is really something we do to get the excitement happening for the next day. Near bed time, we surprise them with a new pair of winter pjs and slippers (usually Bunny related if possible), a Easter book, a small non chocolate gift & a small amount of Easter chocolates from us as a treat. Their non chocolate item is usually something not expensive at all and is something I know they will get use & enjoyment out of (see what I'm doing this year over on the VIP Lounge this week). The pj's & slippers are actually something they need at this time ready for winter so it does have an underlying purpose! The book is a great encouragement to read and have family time & the chocolates are to bring them joy! We do not however give them much chocolate from us as we know they will get plenty from the Easter Bunny the next day :)
Snacks For The Easter Bunny & Putting Out Easter Baskets - Usually a bag of nice crunchy carrots are on the menu along with some fresh water. The kids also put out their Easter baskets on the kitchen table next to the snacks …. Just to make sure the Easter Bunny sees them lol lol lol.
Easter Sunday
The Easter Bunnys Mess! - Yep every year that naughty bunny makes a mess with the carrots! You can see a trail of half eaten carrots along with shrubbery from outside leading from the kids bedrooms through to their Easter baskets (now moved near the back door) along with new gumboots for winter and a note from the Easter Bunny for a traditional Easter egg hunt outside .
From Us - We leave a small gift of some sort and a small chocolate near their baskets. It's not usually too much chocolate as the Easter bunny has plenty outside! See what we have gotten them this year in this exclusive video on the VIP Lounge. In Joseph's younger years (and now we have 2 kids) I'll admit I spoilt him with a few gifts. Now days it's been pulled back a lot more to focus on the hunt instead.
From The Easter Bunny - The Easter bunny will always leave a note instructing the kids to pop on their new gumboots he has given for winter and head outside for an exciting hunt. Being the Easter bunny has done this in the dark it can take some time to find them!
Easter Breakfast - we eat our normal breakfast but of coarse allow some chocolate to sneak in!
The True Meaning Of Easter - We again remind the kids again the true meaning of Easter for us.
The Rest Of The Day - Generally we get together with family for a nice lunch and the kids get to do another Easter egg hunt with others. Truthfully we don't need the amount of chocolate we end up with by the end of the day, but it's so much fun to just have the hunt experience! The chocolate lasts us months afterwards and we share with visitors that pop in for weeks after.
So that’s what we do! My focus as a busy mum is to really make it as simple as possible whilst also giving a fun experience. The key is for me to set traditions & schedules that work for me year to year. That way I don’t have to spend every year putting pressure on myself to do something new. We truely have a fun and amazing time at Easter. We hope you have one too!
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