[MUSIC]
Hi, everyone. I'm Shelli Kurth and I'm
here with my colleague, Dr. Nicole Assisi.
Nicole and I have been working together for a long time.
We've been leaders, we've been teachers,
and of course now we are homeschooling parents.
Our goals are to provide
you with tools and resources to keep
your learner thriving and to keep you sane.
For more resources, you can go to the playbook
that's found on thriveps.org.
We are talking about the holidays today,
and I got to be honest.
I am usually not a big holiday person.
My life usually looks like me
zooming off to work, rushing,
finally being able to take off
a week or two when my kids are out of school,
and then feeling overwhelmed and quite frankly too
tired to even think about holiday decorations.
But this year has been a little unique.
As someone doing distance learning
with my kiddo at home and working from home,
the holidays have looked a little different,
and today's episode is going to be
about how the holidays might take shape.
I think first and foremost,
it's important to be realistic and honest with your kids.
Have some conversations about
the fact that things might look different,
but not all of the different is bad.
In our house, for example,
we doubled down on Christmas decorations.
My neighbor across the street put on
amazing Hanukkah holiday lights
that I can see from our window and it's so beautiful,
all the blue and white light is flashing.
So be honest with your kids though.
If usually during the holidays
you are among the lucky few
spending the time on a beach in the Bahamas,
might be a little different.
But there are lots of other things you can do,
so let's talk about them.
First of all, there's
some really great virtual events
happening like The Nutcracker, for example.
If that's a holiday tradition in
your house and you usually go to the theater,
live stream some of them.
There's other great live stream theater events
that you can find,
and we'll try to put some resources
in the comments as well.
There are also some really
great drive-up theater performances.
My neighborhood has a theater performance
of the Gingerbread House.
I can't tell you much about the performance other than,
when I drive by, there's all these cards.
It looks like a big tailgate and
people bring their lawn chairs,
and their trunks are open,
and they're cozied up with their blankets
watching this really cool performance.
Again, drive-up celebrations might
be a new holiday tradition to
actually keep around because it looks really fun
as folks are sitting there in their lawn chairs.
Another thing that we love doing in our house,
always have and are doing even more now,
is just checking out the holiday lights.
I mentioned my neighbor to you already,
but it feels like a lot of folks like
me went a little extra on the decoration.
There are a lot of holiday lights to see.
Most neighborhoods, you can see them
by walking, by driving.
If you do a quick Google search on your neighborhood,
there might be even a part of town that is
especially recognized for
their over-the-top holiday decorations.
So why not jump in a car or go for
a walk and see some of those beautiful holiday lights?
Another thing to think about,
this might be the year to lean into some baking,
or if you're like me, this might be
the year where you put a stick in the ground and say,
"We are not baking at all."
But there might be some other things to think about.
Gratitude jars are big in my circle of friends.
Folks are taking these Mason jars and
are putting kind notes to each other.
My son is really into Kindness Bingo.
We got a Kindness Bingo sheet from
the web and he sent them to some of his friends,
and we're now doing Kindness Bingo.
How many kind things can you do until you get a bingo?
Other things to think about,
you could go old school.
This is an idea I actually got from Shelli,
and she reminded me how much fun it was to string
popcorns and cranberries as a holiday decoration,
so another fun idea.
These might be things that you used to do as a kid.
Bring them back, have some fun.
There's obviously also just
binge-watching a good baking show or some holiday movies,
creating some homemade gifts, and most of all,
just having some fun and enjoying some family time.
Shelli, you are the kindest, most caring,
and thoughtful person that I quite frankly know,
and I bet you have some other really great ideas.
We'd love to hear them.
Wow, thank you.
It's interesting that you say that because
I think the thing that I'm missing
the most this holiday
season is really that spirit of giving.
It doesn't feel the same to me.
I was sitting on my couch looking at Amazon,
trying to think would we celebrate Christmas in
my house and trying to think of Christmas gifts,
and it didn't feel the same.
It felt so different and
it felt like something was missing.
It's that spirit of love and giving.
I really started thinking
about how can I bring that into the holidays,
even though it feels a little bit sad.
There are so many people in
our community who have food insecurity,
or job insecurity, health insecurity.
There's a lot of sad that's happening,
so what can I do to make a little bit of happy happen?
One of the things I thought,
my daughter and I were brainstorming together,
we thought about sending some words of
encouragement to people who need them.
It could be people in nursing homes.
Maybe it's our first responders
or those on the frontlines,
the doctors and nurses,
who are working double duty right now in
really unsafe jobs to try to help us,
or people in the military.
A thoughtful letter, some words of
thanks to make them feel good.
That's one thing that we could do to spread a little joy.
We also decided to surprise our friends and neighbors.
Since we can't see them and we often, in our house,
have a lot of social gatherings around the holidays
and are missing that a lot,
we're putting surprise baskets together,
we are doing a little baking and a little surprise,
nothing too expensive because it's just
not the time right now for that.
But putting together little surprises in
bags and doing our form of doorbell dash,
where we knock and nobody knows
who it's from, it's anonymous, well,
they might figure it out if we don't run fast enough,
and leave a little surprise for friends and neighbors to
spread a little cheer and let
people know that you're thinking of them.
This one I got out of the Feeding America.
I think it was a newsletter,
and I thought it was brilliant.
I'm a little over Zoomed.
I think a lot of people are,
so much of our communication is on Zoom.
But I don't get to give that up for the holidays
because I need to see my mom and dad and our family.
So instead of doing the normal Zoom thing,
we're going to do a virtual fundraiser on Zoom,
and we're going to play games and the losers of
the games have to give to
a charity of the winner's choice.
I'm sure Feeding America will hope it's them,
but whatever choice that the winners have.
Or you might play a game where
the pot will be given
to a charity and I thought, "Wow, how fun."
It adds a little friendly competition,
but also really gives meaning
to some of those family engagements.
It's a tough time, but whatever we can do,
little or big, to give back.
One of my friends is making care packages
for homeless folks that include hand sanitizer and mask,
and I thought that is brilliant
and they're in zip-locked bags.
So maybe a new tradition.
Since so many of the old ones can't be there,
maybe embracing some of the new traditions that have
that spark of giving
might be something that you can carry on,
not just for a year of COVID,
but for the years to come.
I love that, Shelli.
Absolutely. What great ideas.
I now have the image of you ding-dong,
doorbell ditching, and running
down the streets delivering care packages.
That will bring joy to my holiday season.
But for you all watching out there,
add some comments of what
you're doing this holiday season.
There are ways that we can all brainstorm and create
a really magical holiday season
that can bring some joy to our lives.
Most importantly, remember to be together,
even when you can't be together physically.
Create that connection, create that social connection,
even if you have to keep physical distance.
Have some fun, enjoy each other.
Don't forget aunts, uncles, grandparents,
who might not be on Zoom in a screen as much as you.
They want to see your faces.
Stay safe everyone, happy holidays,
and until we see each other next time. Be well.
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