Navigating the Holidays here at MMCH
Last week, while sitting down to tea together in the afternoon, one child spoke up and said, “One of the friends told me I’m on the naughty list and that I won’t get a present for Christmas this year.” Ugh, bummer. That’s a tough thing to hear when you are young and so full of excitement for the upcoming holidays. It’s especially tough when we know that that statement is parroted from an adult who is utilizing Santa as a way to scare their children into being “good” this holiday season…
This is a great resource we utilize every year to talk about the Holidays & Traditions around the world and how they all tie into Light.
In response, we said “I’m sorry to hear that a friend said that to you. That must have felt sad. Please remember that all of you are good, kind, people who are trying to do what’s right every single day. If someone says that to you again, you can ask them to stop and ask a teacher for help if it continues.” Next, a large discussion broke out about Santa Claus and the number of gifts he may or may not bring for Christmas. Hands shot up into the air so children could voice their opinions on Santa and what he does. Some children said with confidence that Santa brings one gift on Christmas, another noted that they get “tons”of gifts from Santa, while a third said that Santa isn’t real and that all the presents are from your parents. After a child had a chance to share, we answered with “Oh, okay, that’s your family’s tradition for celebrating Santa? Thank you for sharing.” By saying, “that’s your family’s tradition” we are hoping to remind children that each family may celebrate differently and that there’s no right or wrong way for others to practice rituals or traditions at home.
No matter your family’s traditions, we urge you to focus on the important aspects of the holiday season by remembering to slow down, maintain a routine, and find gratitude each day as times get busy and our schedules become full. At MMCH we literally walk more slowly through the classroom, speak more softly to the children, and model sitting down and focusing on a lesson. The children are so full of excitement and anticipation that they struggle to engage in the environment and focus on what’s in front of them. One of the biggest gifts you can give your children right now is your attention and time together. Model the act of slowing down for them, too. Read a book on the couch, bake something together, go for a walk in the snow and look for animal tracks.
And remember, what makes you want to be “good”? Eating healthy foods, getting plenty of sleep, maintaining a routine so you know what to expect, and spending time with the ones you love. Not the threat of being in trouble or something being withheld from you…We know these are things you practice all the time, but sometimes in the busy holiday season we have to remember to enjoy what we have right in front of us.
In our classrooms we introduce the holiday season by discussing “light.” Light is a central part of many celebrations this time of year as the sunlight dwindles and we look forward to its return after the Winter Solstice. This ties into lessons about Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and more. Read more about it in our “Celebration of Light” blog.