Finding Work Life Balance as a Teacher During the Holidays
For many of us working mommas, the balance between work and home is a constant struggle. Throw in a holiday season and the stress level seems to be on a steady incline. The good news is, it doesn't have to be! Learning to have a good balance of both worlds allows for a feeling of a content and successful life: at school and home.
With the coming holiday break and all the hustle and bustle of moving among places for Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations, keep in mind that a little freedom from the normal structure is okay. It will pass and life will be back to normal before you know it!
The trick is to balance the two and stay ahead of the game so you don't feel like your life is spinning out of control. There's a few things you can do to help keep you sane in what can be an insane time!
Stay Consistent
Instead of sleeping in an extra two hours (of course this probably wouldn't happen anyway if you have young kiddos!), play to wake within 30-45 minutes of your normal time.
This allows for you and your family to keep to somewhat of the same structured routine as you would during the workweek. Same goes for bedtime. Try to keep the routine the same, with the exception of maybe an up of variation.
Plan Ahead
Start planning early. Plan as much as you can ahead of time – at both school and home! Get your holiday cards addressed and ready to be mailed as early as possible. Make a list of things you absolutely want or need to do during the holiday season. (But make sure to stay realistic!)
Make a list of who you need to buy Christmas gifts for and then plan a budget accordingly. Try to stick to that budget as much as possible so you don't feel guilty after the fact. And remember, it's okay to say no. It's okay if not all of the decorations are put up! It's okay if you can't attend every holiday event. It's okay! The world will not end!
Be Prepared
Some of us have multiple family celebrations to attend. Make sure you coordinate your plans and mark them on the calendar so you don't forget. I also like to pick up a few hostess gifts and have them on hand during this time of year.
In addition, I keep the ingredients to a few appetizers or desserts that I can quickly make and bring to a party should something come up unexpectedly. This way I don't have to make an extra, unexpected trip to the store.
Family Traditions
Build your own family traditions or rituals. This way you and your family have some fun activities to look forward to. This also helps create a sense of family. Your kids will only be little for so long, so make sure to take the time to enjoy them! For our family, we like to put on our pajamas and drive around our neighborhood to look at Christmas lights while drinking hot cocoa and listening to Christmas music in the car.
For your family it might be making cookies for a family gathering, guessing your gifts before opening them, playing board games before Christmas supper, or reading a book about the Christmas story. Making these important memories with your children will allow for years of enjoyment during the holiday season!
Make a Shopping List
Which gifts can you shop for online, and which do you need to hit the mall for? After you've made your lists, you can plan a day to do your store shopping and another to do your online shopping {plus this helps keep you on budget!}. Hire a babysitter or call grandma for a few hours. Or arrange a swap with a friend. Watch their children for a few hours so she can shop, and in return she can watch your kids for a few hours while you shop.
You'll enjoy the quiet time and you'll get your shopping done even faster! You can even plan to make one stop a week on the way home. Just don't wait until the last minute to get your holiday shopping done.
Gift Wrapping
What happens after you get the gifts home? Who has time to wrap all of them?! If you are shopping in a store, many offer wrapping on the spot. Take advantage of it!
If you don't have that luxury or you enjoy wrapping – but simply stress over doing it – wrap one gift at a time! After the kiddos are sleeping, wrap one or two gifts a night. Don't wait to try and do a gift wrapping marathon, unless that's your thing.
This holiday season slow down, breathe, and enjoy. This time of year goes by so quickly. Rather than get caught up in the hustle and bustle of making everything look perfect, remember what is really important. Family.
So rather than overdoing it, spend time making memories with the ones you love. The kids won't remember how decorated the house was or how many gifts were under the tree – what they will remember is the love and attention their sweet mom gave them! They will remember the way you made them feel.
May you be surrounded by love and family the whole season long! From our house to yours – Merry Christmas!
Great advise! Especially keeping consistency in routines. I tend to adjust to new routines easily, but always try to have my kids within their routines as much as possible.
Great advise! Especially keeping consistency in routines. I tend to adjust to new routines easily, but always try to have my kids within their routines as much as possible.
Janice