4 Ways to Support Children When Christmas Looks Different Than ‘Normal’
“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” —Isaiah 7:14
December is a month of anticipation that brings many spiritual traditions, memories of family, and changes to our routines with special events and family get-togethers. Like Thanksgiving, your Christmas may look and feel different from previous years. As we try to support our children (and ourselves) in building resiliency through this time, it may serve all of us well to plan ahead. Children greatly rely on predictability for a sense of safety.
Young children may or may not remember previous Christmas traditions, but as parents, we sure do! I have a long list going in my head of things I will miss this year, like spending Christmas at the farm with my mom and sisters. However, I am also making a list of new traditions and celebrations we can have in our home, given the fact that we will mostly just be home. For example, we purchased our first at-home Advent wreath this year! We have also already decided which Christmas movies we will watch on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. And you can bet those Christmas pajamas will stay on all day!
As we start the season of anticipation, what plans are you thinking about for your family this Christmas? Making decisions early and talking about them with joyful anticipation might just provide a sense of predictability our children need. This just might be the year we have more time to spend talking about the gift of the Christ Child and our calling as His disciples.
The author of “In a Time of Calamity, What Do Children Need from Us?” suggests four goals:
Teach children to “look for the helpers.” This helps children remember there is a lot of good happening in the world around them.
“Teach them to be helpers.” This gives children a concrete way to make things better when they can.
“Listen.” Many of our most impactful teaching moments begin when we give children the opportunity to ask questions and just talk.
“Be there.” We get this comfort from our Father in Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.” We can’t control some of what is happening around us right now, but we can simply be present alongside our children and each other.
I pray that these tips for creating new holiday traditions and helping children navigate them successfully are a blessing to your family, and I look forward to hearing stories from our families about Christmas break when we return to school in January!
Mrs. Brenda Bernard
Early Childhood Director & Elementary Principal, SFLS
Source:
Minkel, J. In a Time of Calamity, What Do Children Need From Us? Educational Leadership. November, 2020
About Sioux Falls Lutheran School
At Sioux Falls Lutheran School, our mission is to develop capable, Christian servant-leaders in a complex world who are World Ready and Faith Secure. We are passionate about giving our students the tools they need to be successful academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually. We strive to accomplish this goal by maintaining high academic standards, employing excellent teachers, and upholding a Christian worldview drawn from Scripture. Ultimately, we are committed to partnering with parents and the church to raise lifelong learners who use their gifts and the fruits of the Spirit, in faith, to touch a troubled world with God’s grace.