Happy Holidays: The Value of Teaching Your Kids About Different Holidays.
By Chelsea McLeod
Easter is just around the corner! For many of us, this is true. Easter is coming up, so we are in holiday preparation mode, shopping, decorating and planning. However, that is not the reality for many other families worldwide. Many people are preparing for another holiday or tradition that we don’t observe or they are not prepping at all. The increasing popularity of the saying “Happy Holidays”, especially around Christmas, often reminds us that many cultural and religious holidays are celebrated around us, so let’s discuss the value of teaching your kids about different holidays.
Growing up, many of us heard that old saying, “life would be boring if we were all the same.” But what does that mean? Does it extend past personality differences or hair colours? In reality, we should mean that every person of every background and culture is essential to our world. Especially in recent years, we have all been taught that Diversity is necessary, that it is what makes life so interesting, and yet we often aren’t exposed to much in the way of diversity; other religious values, cultures, and traditions, in our day-to-day lives unless we seek them out. This appreciation of diversity and different religious traditions begins at home. The Value of Teaching Your Kids About Different Holidays.
Holidays are not Universal!
The World is Full of Diverse Religions, Cultures and Traditions. Don’t Limit Yourself or Your Kids Learning!
Holidays are not a universal experience, not everyone celebrates or observes the same calendar holidays as others, and as the holiday season approaches, it’s vital that we remember there is a diverse set of holidays that are celebrated all around us, not just our own. It’s essential for children to understand and express their family traditions, holidays and beliefs. Still, as the Easter season approaches, it can also be an excellent time to encourage the investigation of other cultures.
Taking the time to learn about other cultures helps to expand your child’s experiences and the world, and it also helps create more understanding across cultures. One of the best things we can do for our growing kids is to be open and honest, expose them to others’ way of life, and teach them that not everyone’s the same. This is crucial to developing a broader worldview and helping children empathize with others. The value of teaching your kids about different holidays is important to their development. And, in doing this, we are reminded that variety is the spice of life!
Variety is the Spice of Life!
Close up of young people putting their hands together. Team with stack of hands showing unity and teamwork.
The Value of Teaching Your Kids About Different Holidays: Begin By Valuing Other Cultures
How do we do this? How do we teach our children about other holidays and traditions? Well, actually, the expansion of worldview and exploration of others starts with us, the parents, by first seeing value in and being open to learning about other cultures. Learning about different cultures and holidays yourself will open the door to a better discussion with your children.
You may not have grown up knowing about much more than your family traditions and holidays that were celebrated within your family. It is possible that many of those you were friends with or went to school with practiced similar traditions to yours. Therefore, this may take some research and study to investigate and consider other cultures, traditions and holidays.
Discussing new concepts with your children can be daunting, so you should take the time to inform yourself to answer their questions. Don’t be intimidated; just be prepared.
So begin your research and preparation with questions:
Why is a holiday celebrated?
What is the historical or cultural significance of the holiday?
When was it first celebrated, and what was its origin?
Are religious values, commercial traditions or economic interests associated with this holiday?
What are some things that are observed as part of this holiday?
This is a great start, but it is crucial that you don’t just focus on the holidays. Also, think broader and talk about family traditions. Some families may not celebrate a specific holiday, but they may have a family tradition they could share. Along with this, rather than focusing only on the holidays, you can start to explore different cultures year-round.
Holidays are one part of exploring other cultures. Still, if you incorporate year-round opportunities to learn about and explore different cultures, you and your children will have a much broader experience and learn much more. Imagine how your child’s cultural awareness and sensitivity would be increased by learning this new information!
The Value of Teaching Your Kids About Different Holidays. There are Many Ways You Can Introduce New Holidays and Cultures!
Some ways you can explore other cultures and traditions are:
Reading children’s books about different holidays. Check out your local library for activities and books available.
Try food from different cultures for each of the holidays/cultures you are exploring. Not sure where to start? Check out a multi-cultural cookbook or look for recipes on the internet. Take the time to discuss why specific foods are essential and part of a particular holiday tradition.
Compare and Contrast. Attend a local holiday festival as a family. While you’re there, look for things that are different and similar to your holiday traditions.
Visit cultural centres or museums and explore different holiday celebrations related to that specific culture.
Visit with or interview people that celebrate different holidays and ask questions to learn about them.
Here is a suggested resource that could help you explore other cultures and holidays with your children:
PBS Parents: Search for “holiday diversity” or “cultural diversity” for a great list of resources.
When you actively pursue knowledge about others’ traditions and cultural heritage, you will see your world in a new way, and so will your children. This can also lead to many open and honest conversations about the world and the people around us. This openness can lead to developing a more inclusive worldview, which can also open other doors to learning; the possibilities are endless.
Home(schooling) for the Holidays?: How and Why to Take a Break
By Chelsea McLeod
Just as Self-Care is essential to the homeschooling parent puzzle, so is taking breaks from the planned curriculum. Homeschooling offers many benefits, one of which is a flexible schedule. Homeschooling doesn’t often follow a traditional school day; you have break time during the day as the requirement of time spent schooling differs. As a homeschooler, you do not have to follow a traditional school calendar; you can choose your calendar, but taking breaks from your planned learning on your family’s schedule is essential.
Taking needed breaks is easier said than done for so many of us.
Home(schooling) for the holidays: How and why to take breaks from homeschooling.
We often feel guilty for taking time off or become overwhelmed by the concept that there is too much to do to take breaks. However, this is not the case, and on the contrary, it can be very healthy for you and your children to take breaks from traditional schooling. So first, you must allow yourself to make the mental space for holidays. You cannot worry about lessons and learning 24/7/365, or you will burn yourself and your children out.
There are many types of breaks, from planned, spontaneous mental health days or unplanned; permitting yourself to take those breaks, whether planned or unplanned, is crucial to the success of your homeschooling journey. But how? How to take these breaks is a different story. In the case of planned breaks, you can follow a traditional school calendar or even look at the work holidays of your spouse and friends.
This may include family or community commitments, events, or simply taking the summer off to allow your children to have a similar schedule to their friends, and you get some much-needed time off. Conversely, unplanned breaks can come from sicknesses, family deaths or unexpected hospitalizations. These things are unavoidable; however, sometimes we need to take a breath, make space for family connection and forget about the calendar for a short or even long while if necessary. The routine, plans and learning will be there waiting for us when we are ready and able to return to normalcy.
Why You Should Take Breaks.
Why you should take breaks is easier to break down. Just because you have chosen to homeschool doesn’t mean you are not allowed to make space for some separation. You school from home, but you do not live in the school. This is an important distinction. I’m sure you know from experience that when you are doing too much of something, it can lead to burnout.
Well, the same applies to learning. You must care for yourself and make space for your interests and hobbies. In the same way, your kids need to have some time and space not connected to a learning outcome. On top of that, there are many reasons (we can only name a few here) why you should take breaks and direct the focus away from traditional learning.
Here Are Some Reasons Why Breaks Are Important:
You are in Charge.
Like many, you chose to begin homeschooling in the first place to take charge of your time and calendar, right? So why not use that to your advantage and plan your break when it works for You? You make the plan; you know what to focus on and when. Could you make space in the plan for holiday breaks? So whether you celebrate Christmas,Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or the Winter Solstice, you can plan your days off from teaching and learning to best suit the schedule you set out.
Family First.
Similarly, being with and connecting with your kids is crucial to their emotional development. You are a parent first, and your children need you for more than just teaching them academics. Life skills and emotional development require an emotional connection. Taking the time to bake cookies together or read a Christmas story is okay because it will help your child build emotional intelligence. Family traditions, religious/non-religious holiday practices or time spent together are always more important than academic learning.
Tomorrow is Not Guaranteed.
This one sounds sad to say, but it is true. No one knows what tomorrow will bring, so take the time to make those memories. If you skip picking out a Christmas tree together or carolling with a relative to keep going with your curriculum, you risk losing your children. What if that relative isn’t around next Christmas? So take the time while you know it is here to create those memories and connections.
Homeschooling Requires Less Time.
Most homeschooling families complete their lessons in less time than a traditional in-person school day. For this reason, you often get naturally occurring breaks during the day or only homeschool for part of the day. And, if you are a curriculum person who likes to follow that checklist, you will easily find and plan how to push through or make up for lost time at a later date.
Learning Isn’t Just Planned Lessons.
Learning happens all the time, especially for children. Baking cookies with your kids can include measurement learning; volunteering can involve learning emotional maturity or gaining “subject area knowledge,” as well as early civic or community engagement lessons. So much “counts” as part of a well-rounded educational experience for your child, so worry less about planned lessons and take in some other types of learning while you spend time with your kids.
Everyone Needs A Break, and That’s OK.
The holidays, no matter which ones you celebrate, often come with much busier schedules. So while you are running around with various get-togethers, holiday concerts or wherever else the season brings, take the time to enjoy it. Remember, you are making memories, and the change of routine often means occasional periods of downtime, rest, and relaxation. After the holidays, you will be able to start fresh.
A Break is A Good Time to Make Changes.
Speaking of starting fresh, if things in your homeschool plan are going differently than you envisioned after a break is an excellent time to make changes. You can take the time during the holidays to explore other approaches or make new plans. Then, when you’re ready to return to it, you and the kids will have had a natural break, which can make the transition easier.
Other Relationships Are Important Too.
Whether those relationships are with friends, mentors, extended family or activity leaders, the holidays are a great time to make space for these. So give your children the opportunities to connect with others outside the immediate family group. It can be problematic in your everyday routine to find time to do this, but holiday events often shift focus to spending time with important people to your child.
They will Grow Up; You Don’t Want to Miss It.
That’s right, I said it! And no, I am not trying to “rush” you or make you cry, but the reality is that before you know it, your littles will be grown, and your traditions will have to adjust. Your holidays will no longer be entirely a time of downtime but could involve part-time jobs and studying for finals. Eventually, they will grow up, move out and get their apartment. They may be going off to university or work, and while they may have time off, they may not be able to get home on all their days off. So be intentional with the time you have now, and put down the lesson planner; the algebra problems or the poem unit you had planned isn’t as important as building relationships with your kids.
Summary: Home(schooling) for the holidays: How and why to take a break.
Amid the busy day-to-day of raising little ones, it is hard to imagine that it will ever be different; believe it or not, there will come a day when you will miss the “help” baking cookies, the constant questions (or screaming) and the stepping on toys at every turn. For now, take the time to enjoy your kids because your family won’t always be this easy to connect with; they won’t always be together under one roof. One day, they will be grown, possibly with a family of their own, and you want them to look back fondly, remembering their time at home with you and use those memories to create their traditions. After the holidays, a new year with new lessons will be waiting, but for now, embrace the change of routine and lean into the break for both yourself — and your kids.
Being a parent is challenging enough somedays, now throw in the magic of Christmas and chances are you’re over the top exhausted. We all want our children to have a wholesome childhood filled with fond memories. The kind of childhood that shapes them into the amazing adults we are aiming for them to become. But let’s face it, it can be very exhausting when you’re always trying to make things great. Especially when it comes to the holidays. Which is why 15 ways to find joy during the holidays is extremely important.
Advertising lays the pressure on thick when it comes to holiday traditions and gifts you must buy. As a result the added stress of trying to make the holidays magical can compound the overwhelm of trying to give your children a wholesome childhood. Many families are just scraping by, the holidays often bring the extra pressure to buy gifts and decorations. Which then causes parents to go in debt to try to make things magical. And that debt is something that most will carry through the coming year.
The holidays don’t just place stress of finances, there are many other areas that hit a stressful point. Like the waking up early part. Wrapping gifts with time that you already don’t have. Moving the elf, then moving the elf again, and again and again. Spending hours in the kitchen making a holiday feast, only for it to be eaten in five minutes. We as parents can often become so overwhelmed by the never ending lists. Which causes the holidays to lead us to cringe with exhaustion just thinking about all the added pressure. So what’s the remedy? What are 15 ways to find joy during the holidays as a parent?
15 Ways to Find Joy During the Holidays as a Busy Parent.
We’ve compiled this pretty incredible list of ways to bring joy to yourself during the holidays. And please don’t think that that’s selfish. It’s not selfish to take steps towards untouchable happiness, it’s actually the opposite. Because if you are finding joy, even in the tough moments, your entire family will benefit.
1. Let the Schedule Go.
Does the idea of falling out of schedule make you nervous? That might be because your parenting schedule is something that you have control over in a world that is anything but normal. However, you may find that during the holiday season, it will be so much more difficult to stay on your normal routine and schedules. Bedtimes might get pushed, morning routines may become messy. When this happens, don’t fight it. Just go with it. Your families routine isn’t a reflection of your parenting skills.
It’s really simple, the joy that you feel from trying to stay on track with your schedule and routine is often false joy, or limited joy. Instead, aim for the joy that comes with your children’s beautiful smiles, and with the laughter that fills the room when you all share a funny memory.
2. Spend Time With Your Family.
Number 2 of the 15 ways to find joy during the holidays comes down to undivided attention. Truly something that your children crave. Society is digital, we can sometimes spend hours chatting with someone who is thousands of miles away. Then when we look up from the phone we see the little eyes of someone that loves you so much, is right here in the room with you but feels miles away. Instead of being glued to your device, put it away. Spend time with your kids. Talk to them, tell them stories about the holidays when you were a kid.
The undivided attention that you can provide them with is worth so much more than a cool new lego set, or barbie doll. When you spend that special time with your children, you will feel so much more fulfilled in knowing that your bond is growing stronger.
3. Make Cards Together.
The last normal Christmas that we had was in 2019. That’s a bit of a scary thought. However, one small thing that can bring comfort is knowing that every person you meet is experiencing this also. So, why not bring some joy to others? Creating some fun holiday cards with your kids, and handing them out to neighbours and friends is an excellent way to share and bring holiday joy. Teaching our kids to be kind to others by doing something as simple as making and delivering a Christmas card, is a life lesson that they will forever keep.
When you do this, you can take joy in knowing that you not only brightened someone else’s day, you also helped your child learn the value of spreading kindness during a time of year that is often cold and dark for so many.
4. Gift a Stranger.
I promise this isn’t sketchy. It’s actually really amazing. Last Christmas I was feeling really blue. The pandemic, impending shut down, losing our dog, and a bunch of other things had left me in a state of blah. Trying to get in the Christmas Spirit was just not something I could do. Until I saw this incredible idea on Instagram. Writing notes of kindness to strangers. I quickly adopted the idea. And took six special cards, wrote special notes inside them and placed $20 in each card.
After we masked up, the kids and I went to the mall, and found six people that seemed like they could really use a ‘pick me up’. We gifted these little cards, with no explanation. Later that day, I saw on a local Facebook group, people writing posts about the random envelopes from the kids at the mall that changed their day and helped them see a light.
This simple gesture brought so much joy to my and my children’s hearts. There’s just something so amazing about gifting to someone. If you don’t have extra money to spare, then don’t place yourself in a stressful spot. Even just writing a kind note and gifting it to someone can be such a a game-changer.
5. Support a Charity.
Recent research has shown that supporting a cause can actually work to increase joy. Knowing that you are doing something bigger than you, can be really mood boosting. This year, I had my kids sit down with a gift catalogue. Not a normal gift catalogue, this gift catalogue had items needed most around the world, and also right here in our own country. My kids selected seeds for a family to plant in another country, a water filter for another family to drink. And to feed a student lunch for one year here in our country.
I watched as my kids faces lit up when they knew that what they were doing was going to help others. They don’t know who it will help, and we will likely never meet those who we are helping. However, the joy of knowing that someone, somewhere will have something they really need because of your gift. That’s joy inducing.
6. Create Meaningful Traditions.
Traditions are something that you and your kids can look forward to with excitement. Set up new, fun traditions. Like holiday baking on December 23rd or having a pyjama wearing, Christmas movie watching, marathon. You could also create your own home decorations together every year, using your imagination and creativity to come up with some awesome designs.
7. Have a Christmas Movie Marathon.
I know, you’re thinking ‘didn’t I just read this as part of the creating meaningful traditions?’ You did! You absolutely did! However, it was too good to leave out of the 15 ways to find joy during the holidays. As parents we can become so busy and overwhelmed. When we lounge around we often think that we are failing in some way because we should be busy doing something else.
Dedicate one day of the winter break to lounging in your pyjamas with your kids, watching Christmas movies. Snuggling, eating, and relaxing are three things that are sure to cause joy and make memories. Take a break from the business and prioritize rest.
8. Lower Your Expectations.
We often think that it’s our children that have the high expectations for the holidays. When more often than not, it’s us that have the unrealistic expectations of how the holidays should go. In our minds we cultivate this vision of you playing holiday songs, drinking hot chocolate, while a three coarse breakfast is cooking. As your children happily open their gifts and the house smells of cinnamon and happiness.
Reality is often so much more different. You’re likely sitting on the couch, looking over at your partner as you both try not to fall asleep while your kids rip through the gifts as quickly as possible. That giant holiday breakfast that you wanted to prepare has turned into a box of cereal and you already snapped when your kids accidentally kicked you in the nose when they were jumping on your bed trying to get you to get up.
So, lower your expectations. Will the holidays be magical? Maybe. But are you going to sacrifice your mental well-being in order to make it that way? No.
9. Keep Things Simple.
This point really goes along well with number eight. Aim to keep things simple. The holidays don’t need to be extravagant and mind-blowing. In fact, keeping the holidays simple will bring more joy to you and your whole family. Because you’re taking that painful pressure off of yourself.
10. Let Go of Resentment.
The holidays sometimes can bring up some feelings that aren’t exactly joy inducing. Thinking about how your mother-in-law didn’t even call the kids to say hello. Or about how your partner didn’t bother to get you a gift again. These feelings of resentment will poison your state of mind and cause the joy to seep right out of you. Give yourself the gift of letting it go. People aren’t perfect, you’ll always be able to find some way that things didn’t go right because of someone else. Please do yourself a favour, and let it go.
“The heart is like a garden: it can grow compassion or fear, resentment or love. What seeds will you plant there?”
Jack Kornfield
11. Let Go of the Bad Moments.
Sometimes it can seem like for every good moment you have, there are ten bad moments that cloud it. Our minds seem to be susceptible to negativity. Being drawn to the bad will only make the good that much more invisible. Will you have bad moments during the holidays? Probably! But not all moments will be bad, truly there will be some wonderful moments that you can remember and focus on with joy.
12. Keep Up With Healthy Habits.
Please don’t be confused by this. I know that number one of the 15 ways to find joy during the holidays was “Let go of the schedule”. However, healthy habits are a different category completely. During the holiday season there are so many treats, and so many opportunities to give up on healthy habits that we have set for ourselves. Let me encourage you not to do that. Make healthy eating, adequate amount of sleep and exercise a part of your holiday traditions. It can be so tempting to devour the box of chocolates that your friend gave you. Or skip exercise entirely.
Healthy Habits are gifts that your body needs to feel great during the holidays. Taking away those healthy habits will only cause you to feel like you aren’t grounded. So stick with it!
The pandemic has made connection and community something that is few and far between. I never thought I would be unable to see my family, until the pandemic happened. While it may still not be safe to connect with your entire family, you still have the gift of technology. Set up a time for your family to video chat a loved one. Share laughs, stories and moments. It won’t be the same as the in-person visits you’d love to have. But it will still be worth it for the whole family.
14. Let Yourself Feel the Feelings.
Maybe you are just really struggling with finding joy. But the fact that you are struggling is making you feel more anxious because you feel like you shouldn’t be feeling that way. Did you follow that? It was a little confusing. Listen, if you’re struggling to find joy and you’re ashamed of yourself because you think that you should be exuding joy right now, just know that your feelings are valid. Please don’t try to push those feelings way deep down. Instead, embrace them for what they are. Life is different now, the holidays can be challenging. It’s ok to not be feeling ok. Talk to a friend, family member, or licensed therapist about your feelings.
15. Be Kind to Yourself.
We place such a huge emphasis on being kind to others, but we often forget to include ourselves in the equation. Please remember to show yourself kindness. Please don’t condemn yourself just because you forgot to buy the eggnog. You’re doing a great job, you’re an amazing parent that just wants the best for your family. So, please be gentle with yourself.
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Is your kids boredom driving you slightly nuts? It can be so much more difficult to find joy when your kids are whining to you about their boredom. Try some of the free special interest units by Schoolio!
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What does Homeschooling during the holidays look like? Many new homeschooling parents are wondering the same thing. Do you take a two-week break like the school-boards do? Or you do take the full month of December? Should you homeschool right up until Christmas and then take a day or two off? What’s the best way to approach the holidays?
This year is especially weird. Normal holidays during a global pandemic – that’s just not going to happen. How can you keep things fun and light for your kids despite the fact that there’s no Christmas plays, visits to grandma and grandpas house, and holiday parties with friends?
Our best advice: Make little things fun. Put huge hype into things like ‘Pizza night’, driving around looking at Christmas lights, baking Christmas cookies together (unless baking with your kids stresses you out – no judgement here). Spend time reading Christmas books together, watching Christmas movies and talking about the plot of each story. On the latest podcast Lindsey and I talk about just that. Because, just like you, we are homeschooling moms living through a global pandemic and trying to find some semblance of balance through all the chaos around us.
Whether you celebrate Diwali, Hannukah, Lunar New year, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice or Christmas, I’m sure you want it to be a special time for your children and you. So, let me remind you, that just because life is vastly different now, and things are unreservedly different than they were before, it doesn’t mean that you can’t still enjoy the holidays and cater to your children’s sense of magical peace.
Light a few candles, make some hot chocolate, snuggle up close and enjoy this special time with your children. Yes, things are not the same. But in everything and every situation, there is something positive. Like the fact that this holiday season, the lack of business translates into more time spent in a peaceful state with your family. The hustle and the bustle are on the back burner, and peace and quality time are front and centre.
So, enjoy it. Enjoy these little moments, enjoy the sound of your child reading. Enjoy the glow of the candles or Christmas lights. Enjoy the stories, enjoy the time. Because time is something that is taken from us all too quickly. My hope is that despite the difficulties of 2020, and the changes that have been brought as a result of it. You and your children will look back at this year with fond memories of all the time that you got to spend together. Lindsey and I truly believe that this holiday season is one that you both will always remember.
Listen to this week’s podcast to hear Lindsey and my best advice when it comes to homeschooling and the holiday season. We talk about things like when you should take a break, what you can do to keep your kids up to date with their learning skills, fun things you can do together and more.
We genuinely hope that you will enjoy this week’s podcast and find a sense of wonder in the mundane. And happiness in the crazy.
Find The Schoolio Podcast Episode 9 ‘Homeschooling and the Holidays’ on your favourite podcast streaming app.
Or click the link below to listen directly on Spotify.
