How to Make the Holidays in 2020 Special

For most households in the Houston area, the holiday season will look a lot different than it has in years past or it may have ever looked. There will be fewer if any holiday parties, Christmas pageants, and get-togethers, and many families won’t see the grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, or other relatives. For this reason, this season may not seem as bright and can add a great deal of sadness to the holidays. Though it is hard not to feel disappointed about the holidays, there are still ways to help make this time of year special and fun for yourself and your family.

Today on the Cy-Fair Montessori School blog, we will be sharing some tips for families to find a sense of normalcy this time of year and to celebrate the season. To learn more about our school, visit our website.

5 Tips for Celebrating the Holiday Season During a Pandemic

The year of 2020 has been a year of obstacles and challenges, and even though the holidays will look different this year, we can still find meaning and fun this holiday season. Try these five tips with your children to help your family celebrate the holiday season this year.

Be Honest But Positive

Instead of trying to sugar coat the situation this holiday season, be honest about what is going on and even how you feel about the ways the holidays will be different this year. This will not only continue to build trust with your child but it will also help them relate, as most likely they may be feeling sad or disappointed. However, bring to light that which is positive such as still being able to be with family, the meaning of the season, and maybe how Santa can still visit the house even if grandma and grandpa can’t.

Be Available To Talk

It is likely your children will have questions or may want to talk about their feelings. Tell your kids that you are here for them to talk to and to answer questions they may have. If some children have trouble opening up about their feelings, you could do activities that make them more comfortable and open to talk to you: some ideas for activities to do together include crafting, baking, sports, or a walk.

Celebrate Virtually

Even if you’d rather not see the in-laws this year, make a point to connect with your family during this holiday season. Set up times to talk to Grandma and Grandpa over a video call, and you could even try doing online games with some of your children’s favorite cousins. Even if you can’t celebrate together, seeing family can help bring a sense of normalcy to a holiday season that may look quite different than those of years past.

Find New Ways to Celebrate

If you can’t do the things you normally do for the holidays, try to find new ways to celebrate together as a family or even create a new family tradition. Some great family activities could be to play board games or do a puzzle, cook together, do a scavenger hunt, take a walk to the park or hike to a local scenic area. You could even make this year’s ornaments together.

Give to Others in Need

When we’re not having the holiday season that we hoped for it’s easy to only see what we don’t have. However, when we focus on giving to others in need, it can be an easy way to re-establish your our priorities and to be grateful for the things we do have. Find a safe charitable activity for the family to do together to help others. It could be ordering groceries for the older couple down the block, making cards for hospital workers and others on the frontline, or giving gifts to families in need.

No matter how you choose to celebrate the holidays, we at Cy-Fair Montessori School wish you a happy holiday season. To learn more about our Montessori Preschool or child care programs in Houston, visit our website!