Since we're currently in the midst of the December holidays, I chatted at length with Catherine Levison 
(author of "A Charlotte Mason Education" and "More Charlotte Mason Education") and we put our heads 
together to come up with ways to apply the concept of avoiding "twaddle" (or what we might call "dumbed 
down" literature or activities) in our holiday celebrations, family times and Christmas reading materials. 

Defining Twaddle in Literature 

First, let's look at the synonyms of twaddle which include:  babble, drivel and silly. Ordinarily twaddle 
refers to literature written down to children. Books written specifically to children are not avoided. A 
good example would be any of Beatrix Potter's works -- she wrote to children but not down to them. 
Or the original A.A. Milne "Winnie-the-Pooh" books are another good example of twaddle-free just-for-fun 
reading material. Regarding children's literature, look for interesting content and well constructed sentences
 clothed in literary language. The imagination should be warmed and the book should hold the interest of 
the child.  Life's too short to spend time with books that bore us.

If our children have only been exposed to junk food, they may resist trying nutritious food.  If they've been 
raised on twaddle, they may need to be weaned slowly off of this mental junk food. Ideally, if they 
were not exposed to twaddly books in the first place, all involved would be way ahead of the game. 

It's our opinion that dumbed-down literature is easy to spot. When you're standing in the library and pick 
up modern-day, elementary-level books, you're apt to see short sentences with very little effort applied 
to artistically constructing them to please the mind. Almost anyone can write -- but not everyone is 
gifted in this field. Gifted authors bring images alive with their choice of words. Gifted authors often write
classic literature, and classics are an excellent way to spend one's reading time.  

Twaddle is easy to come by; the planet is filled with it. People coped with it in previous centuries, and 
we must cope with it in ours. If anything, literature has deteriorated even further. The best way to handle
this excessive quantity of bad books is to stand firm and only spend our money on the best -- even at holiday 
time. 

But what about friends and relatives who unknowingly supply our children with twaddle at gift-giving times? 
Try talking to those who are apt to buy gifts for your children and tell them about the direction you're 
heading with reading material. Some people pick up on things easier than others, therefore, for some 
folks a simple explanation of the type of literature you want purchased as gifts is all they'll need. If 
you've started to collect any particular set of children's classics currently in bookstores or catalogues, 
you could provide Grandma with a list of titles you'd like. Be specific, and offer to help her with the ordering 
or perhaps even drive her to your favourite bookstore. 

Twaddle-Free Holidays 

How else can we apply the concept of twaddle to the holiday season as a whole? Well, I firmly
believe that twaddle is in the eye of the beholder. That means that some of the following ideas 
may appeal to you while others may not meet your expectations. Catherine and I put our heads 
together and came up with the following ideas -- some of which were shared with us over the years 
by other people. As always, take what you like and ignore what you don't. 

During the holidays, I frequently discover a large number of low-cost entertainment options by 
reading the "What's Happening" section of our local newspaper.  For example, this week I found
a listing for a singing group performing traditional Celtic holiday carols at a local church for just a 
small donation.  Many churches and community groups put on low-cost (or free) live performances 
during the holidays. 

Rather than taking the family to a newly released holiday movie, consider spending a few extra dollars
and attend a ballet or classical concert instead. Many times attending a concert by a local symphony
performing familiar Christmas songs is a very child-friendly introduction to symphonic music for children 
who haven't previously experienced that type of music.  Also, many churches offer sing-a-longs 
of Handel's Messiah that are open to the general public.  

As we all know holiday music is drastically varied. Perhaps some attention to playing classical music 
around the house -- while avoiding animated cartoon characters screeching their holiday favorites -- 
would be more soothing. 

Many families, including both Catherine's and mine, buy one new Christmas book a year and have their 
collection on display. Catherine's favorite is called The Christmas Story featuring the paintings of 
Gennady Spirin.  It's breathtakingly beautiful and priced accordingly -- however Catherine insists
it's worth every penny.  This is one way to include masterpiece artwork into this season of the year. 

It's also time to buy next year's calendar. If you haven't thought of it before, hold out until you find
one featuring fine art rather than kittens, horses or cars.  Along with being a practical item, the
calendars often provide excellent prints to use for art appreciation throughout the year. 

While grown children and other relatives visit, provide some old-fashioned fun that can be
enjoyed by young and old alike.  Charades, sing-a-longs, board games and caroling are 
easy, affordable and fun. Catherine's family collects Christmas jigsaw puzzles -- which may
appear to be a bit twaddly at first glance -- but they truly enjoy spending time together which
makes it more than an aimless pursuit.  You could also choose puzzles depicting master-
pieces or popular works of art. 

Many families are constructing their own advent calendars from wood and incorporating photographs
and other touches. If everyone participated in a project of this sort, then they can all look forward 
to getting it out each December. 

Are you dreaming of a white Christmas?  Well, if the snow doesn't come to you then go to the 
snow. Some folks make an annual trek to the mountains during December in order to be
assured of some contact with winter weather.  

Obviously, there are countless good ideas that help families enjoy each other. Catherine and I
send our absolute best to you this holiday season and may each of you be truly happy. 

About the author: Deborah Taylor-Hough

--Debi (wife and mother) is a free-lance writer, editor of
Bright-Kids E-zine [mailto:join-bright-kids@ds.xc.org]
and author of the bestselling book "Frozen Assets:
how to cook for a day and eat for a month," and "A 
Simple Choice: a practical guide for saving your time, 
money and sanity."  Visit Debi online at:  
http://members.aol.com/dsimple/

Twaddle-Free Holidays
Copyright 2001 Deborah Taylor-Hough
Used with permission.  All rights reserved.
mailto:DSimple@aol.com