So, I am a week behind.
I apologize repeatedly. With the holidays upon us (December as an entity), I have been very busy traveling and such to visit family and start the Christmas celebrations early.
That brings me to my topic; Holiday Spirit: Where to find it?
With Christmas winning the popularity vote for December Holidays (at least in my area), it is safe to say that ALL I SEE/HEAR/THINK is Christmas as a Rec.
Christmas music, Christmas crafts, Christmas decorating, planning Christmas parties (That's right, not just 1 party....5!!) My brain is constantly thinking about all of these things, and guess what....I'M NOT SUPER INTO CHRISTMAS. Never really was. But as a Rec, I kinda have to be.
So here are some pointers on how to be Merry and Bright when all you want to do is be more like the Grinch.:
1. Change up the tunes; not every minute of every day this month HAS to be Christmas music. Try using a variety of songs and mixing in Christmas classics every 3rd or 4th song. During exercise programs, use remixed versions of your favourite Christmas songs to keep heart rates up and the repetition of "All I want for Christmas is you" down to a minimum.
2. Plan winter-themed activities to space out all of the Santa and Reindeer crafts. You will get very tired of writing 'Ho Ho Ho' on red cardstock and gluing cotton balls as a beard. Plan snowflakes, ornaments, icicles, and more crafts in the same theme. Plan discussion groups around the time of year (month) featuring the past (i.e. December 1950 etc.) versus 'The first Christmas'.
3. Plan your parties in advance. This is a little hard to do as it's already 1 week into December but plan as much as you can in advance. Plan your baking programs next week to make triple batches of your favourite cookies and freeze them for your parties.
4. Don't force it. Don't MAKE yourself LOVE Christmas. Enjoy the experience of spending time with your clients/residents/participants. Experience their joy and wonder in the holiday season. Don't force yourself to be the happy little elf from Santa's workshop because it will be obvious that you are being fake and no one will have a fun time.
5. Be Kind. Remember that not all of your participants/clients/residents will celebrate Christmas. Make sure to plan alternative activities to accommodate all holidays.
I am sure there are so many more tips I can give you but these are the basics for being a Rec during the holidays. If a more extensive Holiday Survival List is something you are interested in, like and share this post!
-Cheers for now! Best of luck!
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