Parents tune in Christmas songs

It's that time of year when Joni has all the car radios tuned to Christmas-only stations.

Get in either of our vans and you're bound to hear the sounds of Christmas jingling inside.

It's so contagious, I've even adopted the habit. Rather than listen to sports talk radio, I've started listening to holiday tunes when I'm driving around town.

Most of my friends probably figure I am suffering from the flu.

One of our vans has satellite radio. This means we can listen to commercial-free Christmas music 24 hours a day.

Our other van is less technologically advanced. In simple terms, we have to make do with local radio. Fortunately, a local radio station has been playing holiday songs for weeks.

All this Christmas cheer is too much for Becca and Bailey to take.

So much so, they hurriedly try to tune in a different radio station every chance they get.

My wife now forbids the girls from changing stations when she's driving. She refuses to allow them to act like the Grinch.

I still give in from time to time, but only for short durations. I don't want to give up my holiday happiness even if it is just auditory.

It's hard not to get in the spirit of the Christmas season when you're listening to a song about grandma getting run over by a reindeer or the seemingly ever present "Baby, It's Cold Outside."

Based on my listening experience, it appears that virtually every singer that ever lived has recorded a version of this cold-weather song.

It wouldn't be the holidays without a constant backdrop of Christmas songs to get us in the mood.

Becca and Bailey don't see it that way.

They don't figure they'll be riding in a one-horse open sleigh.

They don't want to hear about the antics of Jack Frost or chestnuts roasting over an open fire all the time.

Actually, I'm surprised that fire officials don't object to carolers singing about open fires.

But clearly it's hard to get excited about chestnuts if they aren't roasting over an open fire. Baking them in the oven just wouldn't have the same holiday spirit.

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of Christmas, it's relaxing to listen to a bunch of Christmas songs.

It puts me in the mood to be one of Santa's elves and go shopping.

Maybe that's why Joni has instilled this music tradition on our car radios.

Of course, Becca doesn't need Christmas songs to go shopping. She would prefer to shop without all those merry songs.

Still, she's learned to put up with Christmas tunes if it will get her dad in the shopping mood.

Joni always has been the Christmas queen in our family. She loves everything about the holiday.

At times, I'm more like Mr. Scrooge. But this year I've changed my tune thanks to the Christmas angel in my radio.

Surely, that's what has put me in the holiday spirit. Becca would say it's brainwashing.

I prefer to think of it as good, old-fashioned holiday cheer. Families need a lot of that cheer to deal with life's busy holiday schedule.

If Scrooge had been exposed to 24-hour Christmas music on satellite radio he would have shed his mean spirit in no time -- unless, of course, he heard me sing.

Mark Bliss is a staff writer with the Southeast Missourian.