What to Say in a Christmas Letter
Brainstorming Ideas for a Holiday Newsletter
When fall rolls around, many people begin thinking about what to say in their family Christmas letter.
Writing a holiday newsletter is rewarding and frustrating at the same time – being interesting, informative, and concise all at once is no easy task. These questions can help people to brainstorm and select information on every member of the family for this year's Christmas letter.
Importance of Outlining a Family Christmas Letter
Like all other types of writing, Christmas letters just seem to flow better when they've been created from a good outline. Many use free Christmas letter templates, but others find that they like the creative freedom of working on their own.
Questions and Prompts for Christmas Letter Brainstorming
At a loss for what to say in this year's holiday update on the family? Here are suggestions and ideas for what to say about every member of the family.
Family Holiday Newsletter for Babies and Toddlers
What can one say about a baby in a Christmas letter? The answer is "plenty." Babies and toddlers have their own unique quirks, likes, and dislikes. Parents writing a Christmas letter can get ideas by asking themselves the following:
- What developmental milestones has the baby reached lately? (Examples: smiling, rolling over, first tooth, sitting up, crawling, walking, or first words.)
- What would you tell a new babysitter about the baby's routine, likes, and dislikes?
- What are the his/her favorite foods, toys, or books?
- Does the baby look like anyone in the family?
- Is the baby a momma's boy or daddy's girl?
- What do strangers usually comment on when they first see the baby?
- What unique quirks does the baby have? What is s/he always doing?
If the baby was born since last year's Christmas letter, include his/her full name and birth stats such as time, day, birth weight, and birth length.
Christmas Letter for Kids in Elementary School
Elementary schoolers are a little easier to write about, since they are incredibly vocal and active. Every parent has lots of fun stories and tidbits about their young child filed away, so access them by asking questions like these:
- What are two funny things they've said or done recently?
- What is his/her favorite color, TV show, school subject, or dream job?
- What is s/he exceptionally good at?
- What are her top three likes and dislikes?
- What three adjectives describe his/her personality?
- What milestones has s/he reached? (Examples: first crush, first lost tooth, or first bike without training wheels.)
Interview the child and ask about some of the questions on this list. Including some direct quotes lightens up a Christmas letter and gives people a better feel for the child's personality.
Xmas Letter Prompts for Tweens and Teens
Tweens and teens can be pretty secretive by nature, making it hard to write about them in a Christmas letter for family and friends. Parents can ask themselves:
- What scholastic awards has s/he recently won?
- What are his/her interests at school?
- What are his/her future career plans?
- Does s/he participate in extracurricular activities like theater, music, or sports?
- Does s/he volunteer or do community service?
- What are his/her milestones? (Examples: first job including babysitting or getting a driver's license.)
- What does s/he like to do during free time?
Make sure to respect a teen's privacy and ask them to OK their section of the Christmas newsletter. The things they do and don't want other people to know about them may be surprising.
Christmas Letter Info for Adults
Adults generally change very little from one year to another, and it can get boring to read ten years' worth of "Peter is still working at the hospital" and "Mary is still volunteering at the library." Brainstorm interesting ideas with questions like:
- What specific accomplishments or new developments have taken place this year at work?
- Have adults picked up a new hobby or skill, taken lessons, or learned something new recently?
- What has the adult made or produced over the last two months in a hobby or at work?
- What ten words would sum up this adult's past year?
- What business trips or family vacations has the adult been on?
- Are there any new household changes? (Examples: pregnancies, new pets, moving, remodeling, or major household purchases.)
In some respects, the toughest section of a Christmas letter to write is update on mom and dad. Focusing on new and interesting information instead of reporting the exact same thing as last year helps spice up a Chrismas letter.
Writing a holiday or New Year's update on the family can be a daunting challenge, but these tips for writing on babies, kids, teens, and adults helps to streamline the task. Learn more on how to properly organize and write Christmas greetings with 4 Steps to Writing a Christmas Letter.
Writing a Holiday Newsletter for the Whole Family
|
Questions and Prompts - Christmas Letter Content
|
Generating Christmas Letter Ideas by Brainstorming
|
What do you think about this article?
More in Home & Style
Latest Articles