Tammy Sassoon
Enjoying Holidays at Home with Your Children
As Jews, we have been given a deeply rich and fulfilling life filled with many holidays, each of which are a way of connecting with our Creator, the greatest joy a person can feel. Let’s take time to study how we can also maximize our relationships with our children over the holidays with the kids home and very little structure.
We often feel overwhelmed when our children are home from school. Routines are disrupted, the house may feel chaotic, and the constant demands can leave little room to breathe. Many parents experience a mix of guilt and frustration, wondering how to manage it all. But even within the stress, there is hope. When the school bell stops ringing and the backpacks stay hung up, we are gifted a window of time, a chance to build, strengthen, and support the emotional world of our children in meaningful ways.
The time off from school, though challenging, is also full of tremendous potential. With thought and care, this time can be used to strengthen our connections with our children, to plant seeds of confidence, resilience, and love that will shape their future in powerful ways.
Embrace the Slowness
One of the biggest advantages of the holidays is the chance to slow down. In a culture that often glorifies busyness, giving your child a break from constant stimulation and structured activities can relax their systems. Children can even benefit from boredom, as it gives rise to creativity, problem-solving, and resilience.
Make some free time to allow your children to direct the flow of the day, take walks, stare at the clouds, or lie in a hammock with you by their side. These quiet, unstructured moments can be deeply healing for both children and adults.
The Beauty of Being Present
Holidays at home offer the chance to be fully present without the distractions of school, work, or rigid routines. Children thrive on connection, and when parents are able to relax and spend unhurried time with them, it communicates a powerful message: “You matter,” which translates to rock solid self-esteem.
Presence doesn’t mean every moment has to be planned. It’s in the slow mornings eating breakfast together, the spontaneous playing in the living room, or the quiet moments with our children with everyone curled up on the couch with a book. These experiences build emotional closeness and a sense of security that children carry with them.
Building the Foundation of Belonging
Ultimately, what children remember most about holidays isn’t the destination, but how they felt. Did they feel loved? Seen? Safe? Valued? Being home allows you to create an environment where your child feels all these things. You’re not just making memories; you’re building the foundation of their emotional world. Enjoy the laughter echoing through your home, the messy kitchen, the cozy time on the couch, and the joy of simply being together.
Modeling Emotional Health
Holiday time is also an ideal time to model healthy emotional behavior. Your children are always watching you. When they see you manage frustration calmly, express gratitude openly, or apologize sincerely, they are learning how to navigate their own emotions.
Take time to speak about your own feelings in a way that’s developmentally appropriate. “I’m feeling a little overwhelmed today, so I’m going to take a few minutes to breathe.” This teaches children that all feelings are valid and are manageable and that self-care is part of emotional wellness.
Filling the Emotional Cup
Children whose emotional needs are met tend to behave better, cope more effectively with stress, and grow into empathetic, emotionally intelligent adults. Holiday time spent at home is a rare and valuable chance to pour into your child’s emotional cup, not through stuff or activities, but through presence, patience, warmth, and love.
Because when the holidays are over and life resumes its usual pace, what remains is how your child felt, and that feeling, of being loved and emotionally supported, is the foundation on which they’ll build their own world.