When Posey Peeked at Christmas is based on a childhood incident. As a child, I was very much like Posey. (Okay, I’m still like Posey!) I love Christmas and I get excited about presents.           

It’s embarrassing to admit, but one year I opened all my Christmas presents, just like Posey. That Christmas stands out in memory as the worst Christmas of my life. Now, as I look back, I realize that it was an important milestone for a curious and impatient child. From that experience, I began to understand that Christmas is not about getting, but about giving and sharing.           

I think that the tension between me-centered getting vrs. shared reciprocity, or community, is one that children and parents can relate to even more today than when I was a child. Materialism and commercialism threaten to overwhelm the joy of Christmas, degrading it into a pageant of consumption. Some people reject the entire holiday for that reason.           

Not me! I’m solidly with Posey. I love the lights, the colors, the special foods, the music, the family traditions, and yes, the delight and surprise of gifts. But it’s the sharing of these experiences, not the goods themselves that makes Christmas joyous and meaningful.

The author as a child, with her Christmas doll.
(This was not the year she peeked.)

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Pretend you are one of the mouse children. What does the mouse hole look like at Thanksgiving, Easter, or Fourth of July? Write a story about the mouse family and their activities during one of these holidays. Draw a picture, too!

Pretend that little Forrest just has to know what is inside the red box. He just “can’t wait.” Write a story about what happens after this: “When no one was looking, young Forrest reached for the small red box and opened it.”

What do you think is in Posey’s box? Draw a picture of what is inside.

Should Posey open the box? Why or why not? Write an editorial-style opinion for the Mousie Times, a family newspaper written by Forrest, Holly, and Malva.

Make a paper box. (Download a pattern to fold here.) Write a secret or something you would like to remember years from now. Put it in the box. Tape or tie the box shut. Write “Do not open until _______” (your choice) on the box. Put it away in a drawer or closet to find later. When you find it again, will you be able to wait until the date you wrote?

Using cardboard boxes, scraps, and other odds-and-ends, create a “mouse house” of your own. Look at the pictures of Posey’s home for ideas about items to use – but be sure to ask a parent for permission first!

The next time you are offered something you want – a piece of candy, perhaps, or a toy – try waiting. Can you do it? Practice waiting for a while before you eat or use your treat. Better yet – share it!

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