Hello friends, today on the blog we will discuss our family’s approach to Christmas school, and how we embrace a slower more Christ-Centered rhythm. Together, we will explore how to lean into our savior’s invitation to rest while we wait expectantly for He who is to come. Thanks for being here!

Christmas: The Build Up and the Comedown

As the month of December draws near, I am noticing a familiar trend in media. Everyday I see yet another depiction of the hustle and bustle which has become synonymous with the holiday season. Whether it be busy shops with long lines, packed airports, or traffic jams; the messaging seems clear: the holidays are hurried and chaotic.

In this season, many homeschooling moms find themselves caught in the tension between striving to finish the calendar year strong academically, while simultaneously attempting to create holiday magic for our families.

Certainly there is much beauty amidst the busyness; in the gifts we give and receive, in the experiences we share, and in the journeys we make to spend time with the people we love. However, what often follows is what many refer to as a ” Christmas comedown,” a post holiday slump and ensuing month or more of burnout beginning in January.

Christmas School: Leaning into the Savior’s Invitation:

While many of us are setting intentions for the new year, we are doing so at a deficit and are weary and in need of rest and recovery before we even get started. This seems especially true for the homeschooling community.

Where we live, the calendar year for homeschoolers runs from July-June and it’s not uncommon to school year round. Come January, a lot of families are halfway into their school year and as a result are experiencing this mid year fatigue.

As I sat with my planner looking at the months ahead, I considered how I might circumvent this impending exhaustion. I thought about Jesus in Matthew 11:28 who said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Our Savior’s invitation to rest stands in stark contrast to the culture’s message of hyper productivity and hurry. This December, I encourage you to lean into that invitation. Fuzzy socks, cozy blankets, and Hot Cocoa are a wonderful start (bring on the Hygge) but true and sustaining peace and comfort, can only be found in Jesus. This is the sacred wisdom of the Advent.

Christmas School: Sacred Rhythms

The Advent beckons us to wait expectantly in quiet anticipation, rather than to hurry. The Advent is a call to pause and to prepare Him room in our homes and in our hearts. We are reminded once again that our hope is in Jesus who came to us not by way of a grand spectacle but in the most unassuming fashion; yet He was and is the greatest gift the world has ever known. He is Emmanuel, God with us.

As we consider the holiday traditions of our homeschools and beyond, may we embrace the abiding wisdom of the Advent- it’s beauty, it’s simplicity, and it’s gentle call to realign our hearts and draw nearer to God. Let us not grow weary of doing good but rather find renewal in our Humble Savior whose arrival changed everything and may our daily rhythms reflect the peace, joy, and hope He brings as we center our hearts and our homes on Jesus. He is the reason for EVERY season.

Christmas School:Treasure These Things

This holiday season, I invite you to join me in embracing a more peaceful and Christ Centered approach to Christmas School. Let us gather our children close, light the Advent candles, sing Hymns, read beloved stories, bake treats, and remember like Mary to treasure up all these things, pondering them in our hearts, Luke 2:19, as we allow the indescribable wonder of the incarnation to infuse our daily learning with deeper meaning.

For any resources we have used or will be using in our Christmas school, please see below. I am including our December Booklist here as well. How does your family Christmas school? I would love to hear about your Christmas school traditions and sacred rhythms.