I’m not sure when I went from enjoying and anticipating the holidays to gradually tolerating and even dreading them.

It was probably some time after birthing and starting to homeschool eight children, running a home, serving at church and helping my entrepreneurial husband with his multitude of business ideas.  I imagine that I am not alone in this lack of enthusiasm.  It is easy to get anxious about the holidays when you consider all of the extras that will be added to your already overflowing plate with shopping, cooking, wrapping, and social commitments.

As a busy mom of many, one verse that I memorized, internalized and clung to from the early days is where Jesus said in Matthew 11:30,

“For my yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Which leaves a harried and overburdened soul with one simple conclusion… I must be carrying someone else’s load!

Tips for Homeschooling Through the Holidays 

Pray
I suppose it is more natural in our humanness to look around for cues as to what to do with our families during the holiday season.  If everyone else is doing it and appearing to enjoy it, maybe we should do it too.  By praying about our family’s holiday celebrations, gift-giving, calendar and school schedule our family has been led to celebrate in lots of different ways.  Some years we have continued schooling along with the public school schedule, other years we have taken off from Thanksgiving through the new year.  Some years we have entertained, other years we have taken a family get away to the local mountains for some peace and quiet.  Although at times we wondered about our decisions, in the end we were always blessed to seek and follow God’s promptings.

Relax
For many of us coming out of the public school system, there is a process of letting go of the school-at-home mentality.  It makes us anxious to take a break from formal schooling for four weeks.  In our home, we have settled on a small amount of core schooling (mainly math and phonics) during the holidays.  We fill the rest of our days with read alouds, service opportunities, baking, crafting, shopping, letter writing and what ever else God lays on our hearts.  For example, every year our family makes a calendar for our business clients.  The kids help choose the photos, the layout and the captions.  We have made homemade gifts and ornaments by searching online for ideas and choosing the ones that would apeal to our friends and families.  The kids are busy baking and planning and wrapping – thinking of others and how to be a blessing.  Moms who know will tell that building life skills and learning to serve as a family are just as important as academic skills.

Still worried about falling behind?  Maybe it will encourage you to remember that the public schools have a lighter load during the holidays as well, often having holiday concerts, class parties, field trips as well as taking two or more weeks off.  Don’t underestimate the power of working and playing together to prepare for the holidays.  Holiday preparations are some of our children’s’ most memorable experiences of homeschooling.

Reflect
Taking time at the end of the year to reflect on the ups and downs your family has experienced can be a great way to refresh your vision and goals for your family.   If you have never taken the time to create a family homeschool mission statement, you may want to do so now.  A quick Google search will provide many ideas for simple ways to document your vision for your family.

Traditions
There is great value in fostering family traditions.  They provide our kids with a strong sense of family identity, values, and generate wonderful memories.

Rather than have this become one more thing on your plate, consider simple things that you can do that don’t require great time or expense.  Is there a special food your family can look forward to?  Maybe you watch a classic Christmas movie together as a family each year.  One thing our family does every year is to bake mountains of gingerbread cookies and invite the neighborhood kids over for a decorating fest.  Easy, inexpensive and, really, who doesn’t like to decorate {and eat} a cookie or two?

Flexibility
Ask any veteran homeschool mom about planning for the holidays and the first thing she will tell you is to remain flexible.  Every year is different.  Every family is different.  There will be illness, financial strains, family struggles, and any number of other variables to get in the way of your idea of a perfect holiday celebration.  Don’t let these things trip you up and steal your joy.  God uses these struggles to grow you and your children.  As your children see you seeking God and finding peace in the storm, they will learn a lesson far more valuable than any traditional school subject.

Don’t let friends, family, your church or even your textbooks dictate how you will celebrate the holidays with your family.  Ask God how He wants you to celebrate and let go of the rest.