Children at Christmas

All three of my Christmas stories have children in them. Want to know why? I can't imagine Christmas without kids.
Don't get me wrong. We had ten Christmases without children, while we waited on God's perfect timing. And I enjoyed those Christmases. But they lacked something.
There is something magical about seeing the holidays through a child's eyes. They still believe in magic and see it in every piece of the holidays. Why not join them?

The child in my first Christmas story, "Mistletoe Make-Believe," is Haley, a ten-year-old girl who is starting to grow up, but not quite ready to do it all the way. She says she's too old for Santa (so sad considering I have a ten-year-old still holding on this year), but is all about decorating driftwood on the beach, ice skating, and riding a trolley to look at lights. All things I could see me doing with my own children.
My second Christmas story, Mama Dated Santa, has Mark, my heroine's four-year-old nephew. Not only is he absolutely certain Santa will bring him his dreamed-of firetruck, he's sure Santa can help his Aunt Trudy not be so sad anymore. And he's all in when it comes to decorating cookies and singing Christmas songs at the top of his lungs.
And the story that came out this year, "A-parent-ly Christmas," has Andy. He's a precocious eight-year-old who is set on getting his parents back together, no matter what. Because Christmas together is definitely better than Christmas with only one parent. And having snow on Christmas? Icing on the cake, so to speak. Not to mention all the icing for the cookies.

Little pieces of my own children are woven into these fictional kids in my stories. Because they definitely make Christmas more magical for me too. They want to do all the things, watch all the specials, put up all the lights and decorations, and wear all the jingle bells. And I know that as exasperating as it sometimes in during the middle of it, someday I'll miss the chaos. 
Now, to figure out a child to weave into my next Christmas story, which I'm aiming to release fall of 2026. ;)
What about you? Do you find Christmas better when celebrated with children? Do you think they add something special to Christmas stories too? Got a favorite?