by Barbara Morgan, Pre-Kindergarten Teacher
Although it is early November, the Holiday Season will soon be full throttle upon us. Moving your family from “Gobble Gobble” to “Fa-La-La” can be stressful. Commit now to some simple steps to keep the Joy of the Season in your holidays.
- Keep Christ at the center. Commit as a family to spend some time in family devotions. For November, select passages or stories of Thanksgiving. Move through the Nativity story in December, breaking it down into small segments so your child really understands the meaning. Pray together!
- Don’t over-schedule. This is a primary cause of excitability in young children. They cannot function well when every moment of every day is filled with a to-do list. Pick and choose activities cautiously. Is it something everyone can enjoy? Is it important to the traditions set in your family? If not, graciously say “no” for the sake of your family.
- Schedule down time. From now until after the New Year, days will be filled with activity. Children need some time to simply play…and so do you! Stay home for a night, play games, make cookies, or kick back with pizza and a movie. You will be glad you did!
- Rules are rules. The same boundaries you set for the rest of the year should apply during the holidays. Good manners help make holiday time more enjoyable. “Kind hands, kind feet, kind mouth” make for more pleasant gatherings!
Proverbs 15:15: “…for the happy heart life is a continual feast”.