Holidays mean different things in different homes. Holidays are cultural and family events, and we as Montessorians, value and honor all cultures. Whether we celebrate one, many, or none, the holidays can have a large affect on our time at home with our Families. School Celebrations, Work parties, theme weeks, shopping, decorating our homes, all of these things can disrupt our routines and throw off our day to day peace.
In my home, I am the Lover of all holidays! I want to find joy and magic in the small things, and build amazing memories for my children to cherish as adults. My husband however, is a bit of a Grinch and is far too practical and grounded to see my magic. It is much easier for him to become frustrated when our daily routine is off due to the next holiday event. I however, want to “Do ALL the things!” (Spoiler, he humors me.) How can we weather the Holiday season, while also keeping our sanity? How can we do this while bringing some Montessori into our home? Here are a few tips.:
Be mindful of what holiday celebrations can add to our lives instead of the stressors:
- Holidays help us mark the passage of time and seasons, what happy things happened this year?
- Winter holidays help bring a sense of fun to the long, dark winter months.
- Create a sense of community and a shared bond among groups of people. How many different holiday celebrations are there in your friend and family group?
- Holidays give us an opportunity to study history, geography, and culture. Have fun learning about Holidays around the world.
- Give us chances to experiment with different kinds of artwork and art projects. Cookies, ornaments, new traditions. This is an opportunity to learn something new or keep up with old family traditions.
- Encourage us to spend time with friends and family. We sometimes get busy in our regular routine, its easy to fall into routine and miss out on the simple pleasure of spending time with loved ones.