It’s the most wonderful time of the year….or maybe the most stressful!!! As many of us prepare for the upcoming holidays, we tend to stress over buying the perfect gifts, making the perfect meals, baking the perfect cakes and cookies, and even making sure our house is pristine for guests! Instead of making sure things are PERFECT, this is the PERFECT time to ENGAGE with your loved ones!

We are focusing on Positivity, Meaning, and Engagement (with the focus of Resilience and Self-Compassion) this month! As we said, this is the perfect time to shift your mindset (negative to positive) and focus more on the meaning of the holiday season where you can spend quality time, connect and engage with each other.

We asked our teachers recently if they have any old traditions that they still continue with their family or maybe they have created new traditions/memories. Do you have any old ones that you still continue to do to this day or maybe you would like to create new ones with your littles?

Here are some new traditions ideas that you could potentially start with your loved ones!

  1. Bake together! Allow your children to measure out the ingredients and stir.
  2. Write cards together! Allow your children to write their names.
  3. Play games! Each of you picks a game you would like to play.
  4. Read books! Each of you picks a book or allows your children to read the book out loud.
  5. Wrap gifts! Allow your children to wrap some of the gifts. They don’t have to be perfect. Allow your children to be proud of their wrapping!
  6. Take a walk or drive in your neighborhood to look at the lights.
  7. Make hot cocoa and watch a favorite movie or show
  8. Make homemade ornaments for your home and gifts for others

Some other traditions you can start with your family could be an Act of Kindness Tradition!

  1. Create holiday cards and send them to nursing homes, wounded warriors, etc.
  2. Donate food to a food pantry
  3. Send baked goods to the local fire or police station
  4. Help an elderly neighbor with their groceries or shovel their sidewalk when it snows
  5. Donate old toys and books your children no longer use
  6. Pick up litter in your local park
  7. Leave a gift or card for a community helper
  8. Volunteer to read a book to your local library or nursing home

If you have a special family tradition and you would like to share, please post on your center’s private Facebook page! We would love to see it!!!

Be sure to come back next week as we talk more about Resilience and Self-Compassion during the month of December!

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