The very busiest time of year is coming soon! Are you ready? There’s so much to do that sometimes we get caught up in the rush and let Christmas happen to us instead of being intentional as we head into the season. Here are 3 ways you can prep your home and heart for this Christmas season.
Declutter with the kids
My daughter recently surprised me by asking if she could get rid of a particular set of toys she’d loved for the past several years. It certainly was the perfect time to purge these items and she was so proud of herself for letting them go.
If your kids don’t naturally think to declutter, it’s a great idea to make it a family activity and show them how it’s done. You can make it into a game and see if your little ones can find five toys they’re not playing with anymore. Your older kids can declutter the game closet by only keeping what they actually play. Your teens can declutter their clothing, or used tech items and make money while they do! Grab the Declutter Cheatsheet for Teens and work through the process together. Decluttering is a life skill you won’t regret teaching them.
Spend some time with out-of-the-norm activities & topics in your homeschool
This time of year is perfect for unit studies. If you’re past the excitement that came with new curriculum in September, then take a well-deserved break and follow passion projects, rabbit trails, and interesting topics that you normally don’t have time for in your homeschool.
If you’ve been neglecting music or art in your homeschool (been there, done that!), then it’s a great time to try a holiday music course or art project.
Volunteering is a meaningful endeavor at Christmastime too. There are many opportunities in every community, or you can create your own! Delivering a meal or gifts to families in need, helping older neighbors with some winter yard work, or taking homemade Christmas cards to residents in a nursing home are all possibilities.
Prep your advent activities
Finally, don’t forget to make some plans for activities that prep the heart for the Christmas season. There are so many ideas, but here are a few of our favorite.
Create a Jesus Tree to count down the days until Christmas day. This tree explores the names of Jesus as your kids hang ornaments about each name. You could make your own (bonus craft project!) or get some freebie printable ornaments to make it easier.
Another idea is learning Christmas carols and talking about the words with your kids. Many carols have deep biblical imagery which make for great conversations and diving into Scripture together.
Have your kids memorized the Christmas story yet? If you start now, it’s totally possible for them to learn at least a section of Luke’s account. You can get printable memory verse cards for Luke 2. They’re a great addition to a Bible Memory Box if you have one. If not, you can still totally use them this season to help your kids hide the Word in their hearts.
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Abby is a former public school teacher, now homeschooling her five children. She’s in the trenches just like you and knows it can be challenging to be home with your kids all day while you struggle to keep up with the housework and educate your kids (and maybe even work on the side!). She blogs over at www.4onemore.com and hosts the Homeschool with Moxie podcast.
