The holiday season can be a beautiful time in an early childhood classroom. There may be special music, family events, winter activities, and a little more excitement in the air. But if we are being honest, it can also be exhausting.
On top of everything educators already do, we may feel pressure to plan special activities, create family gifts, decorate the classroom, manage schedule changes, and keep children regulated when their routines outside of school may also be changing.
It is easy to feel like we have to make the season magical for everyone while running on very little energy ourselves. If that sounds familiar, you are not alone.
Keep the parts of the day that already work
Children often notice changes before adults realize how much has changed. They may be sleeping differently, attending family gatherings, seeing new decorations, or sensing that the adults around them are busier. Even happy changes can feel overwhelming to a young child.
Keeping familiar classroom routines gives children something steady to hold onto. Try to maintain your usual arrival routine, meal times, transitions, and dismissal process whenever possible. You can still introduce seasonal activities without changing the entire day.
A visual schedule or First/Then board can also help children understand what will be different and what will stay the same.
You do not need a special activity every day
During this time of year, it can seem like every day needs a new craft, theme, keepsake, or celebration. It doesn’t.
Children do not need a packed holiday calendar to have a meaningful experience. They need time to play, explore, repeat familiar activities, and connect with the people around them.
Choose a few experiences that actually feel meaningful to your group. Let children explore seasonal colors, music, light, winter weather, family traditions, kindness, or gratitude in ways that allow them to make choices. Not everything needs to become a perfect project to send home.
Remember that every family is different
Not every family celebrates the same holidays, and some families may not celebrate a holiday at all. Try not to assume that every child has a Christmas tree, exchanges presents, or participates in the same traditions.
Your classroom can focus on ideas that leave room for everyone, including family, community, light, warmth, winter, kindness, generosity, and appreciation. Being inclusive does not mean taking the joy out of the season. It means making sure no child feels like their family is the unusual one.
Expect children to have bigger feelings
The holiday season can affect children’s behavior. You may notice more crying, biting, running, hitting, difficulty listening, or resistance during transitions.
Before assuming that a child is simply acting out, pause and consider what they may be communicating. They may be tired, overstimulated, or adjusting to a different routine. They may need movement, connection, a quieter area, or extra help understanding what happens next.
Sometimes children need us to be their calm when they cannot find their own.
Let some things be good enough
Your classroom does not need to look like something you saw online. The bulletin board does not need to be perfect. Every activity does not need to be photographed. Every child does not need to bring home an elaborate handmade gift.
When your list starts growing, ask yourself:
- Does this truly need to be done?
- Does it have to be done by me?
- Can I make it simpler?
- Is this meaningful for the children, or am I doing it because I feel pressured?
There is nothing wrong with choosing a simple activity because that is what you have the energy to offer. Simple does not mean you care less.
Please take your break
I know how easy it is to use a break to finish setting up an activity, respond to a message, clean the classroom, or catch up on documentation. But you also need time to sit down, eat, drink some water, and let your body breathe.
A short break may not solve burnout, but constantly giving it away will eventually catch up with you. Whenever possible, step away from the classroom and let your break belong to you. You do not have to finish everything before you are allowed to rest.
Try not to bring the entire classroom home with you
Even when we physically leave work, it can be difficult to mentally leave the classroom. We replay difficult moments, think about tomorrow’s activities, or worry about what we did not finish.
Before leaving, try writing down:
- One thing that needs your attention tomorrow
- One moment from the day that made you smile
- One unfinished task that can wait
Then close the notebook and give yourself permission to go home. The classroom will still be there tomorrow. You deserve an evening that is not completely consumed by work.
Ask your teaching team for help
You should not have to silently carry every classroom responsibility. Talk with your teaching team about who is preparing materials, communicating with families, cleaning up, and handling special events. If the list feels unreasonable, discuss what can be removed or simplified.
Supporting one another can also mean protecting each other’s breaks, sharing information clearly, and checking in when someone seems overwhelmed.
Make room for small, uncomplicated joy
Not every joyful moment needs to be planned. Sometimes joy is playing a favorite classroom song, rereading a book the children love, laughing with a coworker, watching children experience the first snow, or sitting on the floor and being fully present during play.
These small moments often mean more than the activities we spent hours trying to make perfect.
Pay attention when tired becomes something more
There is a difference between having a long week and feeling like you are running on empty all the time. If you continue feeling exhausted, anxious, emotionally numb, unusually irritable, or filled with dread even after resting, you may need more support than a quiet weekend can provide.
Talk with someone you trust. Use your workplace resources if they are available. Consider speaking with a healthcare or mental-health professional. You do not need to reach your breaking point before you are allowed to ask for help.
Needing support does not mean you are failing the children. You are a person before you are an educator.