Stay Connected to your Student this Christmas
In this age of media overload and activity-crammed lifestyles it can be a challenge to stay connected with your students.
With holiday concerts, Christmas parties, end-of-semester projects, and longer to do lists, this season can make it even more difficult to carve out time for meaningful conversation and connection.
All it takes is a little intentionality and a couple of these simple ideas to create moments and memories that will last into next year.
Choose a YouVersion app Advent Bible Reading Plan to do together.
o Download YouVersion Bible app.
o Invite your student to be your “friend.”
o Choose a Plan (there are many advent ones). Invite your students to do it with you.
o Each day you can “Talk it Over” by leaving comments for each other to see.Drive through a neighborhood with a lot of Christmas lights on the way home from a practice, game, or private lesson. Don’t forget to crank up the Christmas tunes!
Drive-thru for a cup of hot chocolate when you’re en route to or from an event. (Bonus points if you by an extra one to give to a Salvation Army bell ringer at Kroger!)
Gather the family to FaceTime a faraway relative for a 5 minute catch up and rousing rendition of “We Wish you a Merry Christmas.”
Challenge everyone to sit around the table long enough to eat a candy cane. Discuss “happies and crappies” from the day.
Do an abbreviated version of Christmas caroling. One song for the neighbor to your right. One song for the neighbor to your left. (Bonus points if one of you wears a Santa hat.)
Leave a post-it note encouragement on the bathroom mirror for your student to see first thing in the morning.
Find one night everyone is home for dinner and picnic by the Christmas tree. Put all phones in a Christmas stocking for safekeeping until dinner is over.
Stack up the whole family on each other’s laps on one recliner or armchair. Pass your Bible or phone from person to person to read one verse at a time from Luke 2:4-20. (HINT: It’s ok to giggle when you’re reading the Bible.)
Surprise your student with a late-night run to Krispy Kreme (they’re open until 10p). Everyone piles into the minivan in their pjs for a “hot now” treat.
Most of these ideas only take a few minutes! Who knows? Maybe you’ll find that one hits home so much that it can turn into a consistent way for you to have spiritual conversations and time together throughout 2024. Wouldn’t it be great if by next Christmas season, you already have habits and rhythms in place that keep you close to the heart of your student? You might even experience a few laughs along the way!