This morning the kitchen greeted me with the most amazingly strong smells of Christmas: Mangoes. Instantly, I was in heaven and looking down upon my innocent child hood memories of growing up in Papua New Guinea.

I remembered having Mango strings stuck between my teeth, juice dripping from my elbows and pretending I was a mango monster: holding my Mango sticky hands out front while I chased any kid that came near me.

I remember the big white smiles of the National kids of Papua New Guinea who mostly retrieved and shared their Mangoes, Five Corners and Guavas. The ease of pubic relations, international treaties of exchange, foreign affairs and diplomatic relations occurred without the need of legislation or protocol.

My memories are fantastic and I thank my parents for having facilitated such happiness.

Christmas is a time of family togetherness. With this often comes all of the family history that many people would frankly, rather forget.

Too many children experience physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect at Christmas time. Increased alcohol use, financial stress and family violence appear to heighten as a natural consequence of family dysfunction meeting extended family dysfunction. These atrocities perpetrated against our children are our children’s future memories.

As you enter your kitchen, lounge, bed or bathroom, take note of the smells and sounds. These sensory stimuli are what your children are going to remember in their adult hood. For many survivors of child abuse, smells trigger their dissociation, depression or own acting out of bad behaviours. Smells and memories go hand in hand.

Sniff up your past mistakes and make this Christmas a time of happy memories for your children. This does not mean you have to buy copious gifts but rather that you invest in the creation of child safety and happy memories: The absence of negative triggers replaced with family focused triggers of fond memories.

For me, the smell of Christmas memories is a big bowl of Mangoes or the smell of Frangipani blooms.

What will your child remember? As of today, YOU have the power to create new memories and contribute toward a future world of love, peace and child safety.

Child Protection: Serious Business, and all you have to do is change a couple of things that you are currently doing out of habit.

Related blog that has really touched me: Child Abuse Survivor.