'Tis The Season'...

To be jolly and joyous?  After a lovely half term break, things might just be beginning to look a lot like Christmas!  The planning and preparation for school nativities, Christmas parties, church services, Christmas fayres, decorating the corridors and classrooms and of course 'Santa Claus is coming to town' – well school!  Wait a minute – what about the curriculum? 

So many things to organise, so many people to manage, so many children to keep smiling and teaching.  It really is the most wonderful time of the year in schools. 

It seems to me that there is a sliding scale of Christmas joy amongst school staff.  There are those who start watching festive films as soon as they are available on streaming services – usually around 1^st September (don’t ask me how I know this!) and turn up in a new festive outfit for every day in December - to those who raise their eyes, curl up in their corners and assume Grinch mode as soon as the word Christmas is mentioned!  I am of course stereotyping for the purpose of humour, but Christmas affects us all in very different ways and for very different reasons.

I wonder what would be on the Christmas list for staff in your or your children’s school?  Would some of them wish for the half term build up to the festive season to be all merry and bright and let’s forget that science lesson – we can do it in January?  Or perhaps the opposite might be true, they wish that they could just do the important job of teaching and forget the photo opportunities and social media posting of children having the best time ever! Obviously neither is ideal! Balancing school life without the additional expectation to bring joy to the world and gold, frankincense and myrrh to the baby Jesus (without the camels standing on the king’s robes or the inevitable mispronunciation of Frankie sent this – Tweenies flashback there!) is let’s say…a challenge.

Fortunately, there is usually at least one person who will forge ahead and plan the festive timetable with gusto whilst singing, ‘I wish it could be Christmas every day!’ – leaving others to follow their, to the nth degree, planning with relief that they haven’t had to do it! Or, perhaps with gritted teeth because they would much rather be teaching the spelling rule for adding suffixes than singing another Christmas carol! 

Regardless of how we feel about Christmas, there is no denying that there is extra expectation placed on school staff during this half term and that some cope better with this than others.  But generally, they all keep smiling through and then collapse in a heap when the term finishes on 23^rd December - and they have two days left to sort their own family Christmas!

Looking after ourselves in the build up to Christmas is a challenge – additional diary dates, additional expectation for the perfect Christmas, additional preparation…

However, is it possible that all those Christmas ‘bangers’ are giving us some advice?  Think, ‘Walking in a Winter Wonderland,’ and there is some well-being advice right there.  Even a short walk can give our wellbeing a boost, and 15 minutes outdoors can be a lovely place to start. Also, ‘It’s the most wonderful time of the year,’ reminds us that practising gratitude can help us notice and appreciate the people and things that bring value to our lives - therefore supporting our overall wellbeing. Then of course there is ‘All I want for Christmas is you!’ Which can serve to remind us that it is presence not presents that make Christmas special. Plus the fact that dedicating time to spend with those we love at Christmas gives us a real sense of belonging. These positive social experiences can help reduce stress and support our wellbeing. Great advice from some festive crooners there!

As for reducing the stress of Christmas in schools?  Some people thrive on it and some simply survive the situation as best they can – the key I suppose is knowing each other and supporting each other as a team.  However, one thing I do know is that at Christmas, ‘time’ is always appreciated.

Regardless of whether we're singing ‘It’s Christmas!’ or quietly counting down to the end of term, we all benefit from a little understanding and consideration. For some of us, the festive period is a highlight of the year. For others, it's a demanding time that requires extra energy and organisation. Often, it's both.

So... perhaps one of the most valuable things we can offer each other this Christmas isn't another present, another activity or another thing to organise. Perhaps it's time. Time to listen. Time to help. Time to acknowledge the effort someone has put in. Time to enjoy a shared moment without immediately rushing on to the next task. And if we can give ourselves a little of that time too, perhaps we can make space to enjoy some of the magic we're working so hard to create for everyone else. After all, time is one gift we can give that doesn't need wrapping.