Food for Thought for the Holidays

Do you find that your students are "off the chain" during the holiday season?  Do they seem to suddenly forget all of the rituals, rules, and routines that they've had down pat up until now? 

If you think about it, there are probably several reasons for these changes in behavior...

Kids need structure.  Between home and school, the predictable schedule of the day pretty much goes out the window during the holiday season.  This throws them off.

There may be added stress at home for some students, especially in this economy.  When parents are stressed, kids know it and they will act out.

We have more on our plates ourselves, juggling extra shopping and cooking, church obligations, and extra running around picking up and dropping our children here and there.  If we let the holiday stress get to us, it affects ours students.  They are a direct reflection of our temperament.

So what can we do to combat these holiday hiccups?  This article has some fantastic ideas to help keep our school days running smoothly so that we can enjoy the season and our students.