Welcome to your twenty-five day countdown and thriving guide. Make sure you click the follow via email button on the right to receive your “25 Days of Thriving through Christmas” in your inbox each day! Raising children from hard places is challenging. Surviving the holidays with a smile on your face while parenting is even more challenging, that’s why the Positive Adoption Team has put together this handy little series. Don’t stress. It’s not a huge to-do, not more than a paragraph or two each day. Easy peasy and encouraging. So, take a minute each morning, open your inbox and read. This year, let’s not just survive the Christmas season, let’s thrive!

 

Tip 9- Try to stick to a schedule as much as possible.

I’m sitting in my office, drinking a cup of coffee and finishing off a brownie. The oven is heating taquitos. Our schedule has been off lately and I think I have turned into the kid. Dessert first along with a constant supply of coffee. Hmmm. Can you imagine how the children feel when schedules change and their bodies are in sugar shock? Makes it hard to function. My youngest just read an email from his creative writing teacher reminding him that he has an assignment to turn in this week. He missed the class last week for good reason- family in town for the Scrooge production. This week we need to get back on track, school and other wise before the next wave of Christmas celebration.

I know, it is difficult. This month we end up eating many sweets, staying out late, and running, running, running. Stick to a few schedule rules so things don’t fall apart. Bedtime routines. Advent readings ( I am behind on those). Dinner at the table as often as possible. Any regular routine that you can keep, do it. This adds security. This adds boundaries so things don’t  get out of control and kids don’t feel out of control.

 

Biblical Application:

” In those days it occurred that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole ^[a]Roman empire should be registered.

² This was the first enrollment, and it was made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

³ And all the people were going to be registered, each to his own city or town.

⁴ And Joseph also went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the town of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,

⁵ To be enrolled with Mary, his espoused (^[b]married) wife, who was about to become a mother.^(A)

⁶ And while they were there, the time came for her delivery,”- Luke 2:1-8

We think our holidays are chaotic, can you imagine being in your last trimester and traveling by donkey a grueling ninety miles to Bethlehem because of a government mandated census?  South along the flat lands of the Jordan River, then west over the hills surrounding Jerusalem, and on into Bethlehem. No new Ikea crib with fresh bedding. No baby shower with fun games and gifts. Talk about having your world thrown out of whack.

Just remember, it’s all about our attitudes, not the circumstance. We can maintain an inner order despite the outer circumstances and our children will feel it. They will feel more secure when we act as if we are.