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I believe that if we make caregiving a fun family time and also something that we do often, we will establish a habit in our children’s lives. Then, when they have families of their own there is a good chance they will also make caregiving a part of their family life.

Here’s how we make caregiving fun for our whole family.  A yearly tradition in our family is making and decorating Christmas cookies. Even the teenagers in my life have fun decorating the cookies!

When they are finished decorating the cookies, we all deliver them to the people at the Hospice home, to shut-ins, to children in hospitals, or firemen and police who are on duty Christmas Eve.

Christmas Cookie Fun

Following are two of the cookie recipes we use:

Pretzel Kisses
Ingredients:

Pretzel Waffle Squares, Hershey Kisses and M&Ms

Directions:
(1) Place the pretzel squares on a baking sheet, and top each one with a Hershey Kiss,

(2) Bake for 3 minutes in a 200 degree oven.

(3) Press an M&M into the center of each Hershey Kiss.

Refrigerate for approximately 14-20 minutes.

Christmas Cookie Cut-Outs:
Karen’s note: I usually make and bake the cut-out cookies ahead of time.  Then when the children arrive, they can focus on the decorating.  I have available lots of various sprinkles, and have pre-melted various colored chocolate wafers to drizzle over the cookies.

Recipe:  Karen’s Cut-Outs (Use an electric mixer)
1 Cup of butter -cream butter, add sugar, then other ingredients
¾ Cup sugar
1 Egg
3 Cups of Flour
1 teaspoon of vanilla & ½ teaspoon almond extract

Directions:

(1) Roll out and cut-out with Christmas cookie cutters.
(2) Put on an ungreased cookie sheet. (Use parchment paper for easy clean-up.)
(3) Bake at 350 degrees until lightly brown.

Then let the fun begin!

Photo Credit: Rockin’Rita