What's In This Newsletter?

• The Holidays...COVID-19 Style 
• Seven Types of Self-Care: Physical Strategies
• Traditions and Holidays Celebrated in our Homes
• PLAY: A Seattle Children's Study
• Holiday Assistance Programs
• Active Learning Lessons with COVID-19 Modifications
• Child Care Health & Safety Featured Classes – watch for a Resilience  training coming in 2021! 

The Holidays…COVID-19 Style

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.” - Maya Angelou

Regardless of your belief system or holiday traditions, this time of year is typically emotional for many of us. Some of us approach the season with much excitement and anticipation. For others, the holidays remind us of current difficult life circumstances, our recent losses, our loneliness. COVID-19 and the complexities of living in a pandemic make this time of year even more complicated, uncertain and, yes, emotional.
 
Practicing basic good self-care will help your ability to cope with stress. Eat a healthy, balanced diet, get enough sleep, get some regular exercise, connect virtually with people who you have positive relationships with and that encourage you. Try stress reduction techniques such as deep breathing, prayer, meditation or progressively tensing and then relaxing various muscle groups in your body in a sequential way. If you live with someone, take time to hug them and tell them how much they mean to you. Don’t forget to take time to do other things that keep you feeling your best. Be gentle with yourself and make radical self-care a top priority!
 
There are a few other things that you can do to decrease your holiday stress level. One of these is to avoid overspending. It is so tempting to buy loved ones something expensive that they have requested or that you know they will absolutely love. However, if you can approach spending more cautiously, you will have a lot less stress in the long run. Loved ones will appreciate gifts that you have made or can afford. It may be a relief to them if you communicate that you do not plan to go overboard this year.
 
Another thing you can do to decrease stress this year is to safely socialize with people you enjoy spending time with. If you have a relative that drives you nuts, COVID is a perfect excuse to not have interactions with that person. If your tradition is to open presents with grandparents in the early morning hours, be sure to set up a Zoom call during that time. Zoom with others over a holiday meal, watch TV specials as you FaceTime one another. The point is to practice holiday traditions any way you can. 
 
Another thing to avoid during the holidays is overcommitment. While keeping some of your traditions, you can scale down the things you do so that you can listen to your body and heart regarding how much activity is enough.
 
Enjoy the children in your care! Start a new holiday tradition in your daycare home or center. Celebrate little traditions, play holiday music, have the children tell favorite holiday stories. In this newsletter, we will explore various holidays and activities that can be done to celebrate holiday traditions other than our own.

Do you feel tense?  Is your heart pounding just a  little faster? Are your teeth clenched? Are you breathing faster or perspiring a little more than usual? If you are experiencing any of these, take a pause and engage your body in physical activities that will help to reset and regulate that lower part of your brain. Once we take care of these sensations, we can move up the brain to the areas that regulate our feelings, and finally the higher parts that regulate executive functions such as problem-solving and planning. This is known as “bottom-up regulation” and is best done in a repetitive way that is rhythmic or patterned.
 
Regulate then Move 

To help regulate your lower part of the brain, engage in passive exercises. Try closing your eyes and rocking on a rocking chair or glider. You can also watch and listen to sounds of nature on YouTube while you do this. If you prefer music, find something with primordial sounds. Once we are able to, a massage by a professional is another passive activity. After the physical tension eases, engage in active exercises such as taking a walk, dancing, or biking. 
 
Relate then Think 

Relationships are the corner-stone of resilience. When the lower part of our brains are regulated, we are able to engage with others in a healing way that fills our cup and replenishes theirs. Play with animals or take a walk with someone you feel safe around – that person who brings you joy and whose energy jives with yours.
  
Dancing to familiar music is also another way you can relate with others. Do you have a favorite musician or online trainer? Turn on their music or exercise routine, sing, dance along or exercise! Can you play an instrument? Play along to your go-to music! This is the time to laugh, play and enjoy your relationships.
 
Engaging the highest parts of your brains can bring healing too! This part of your brain comes to the table beautifully when all the parts below it are balanced. Try a new online exercise routine or game that you haven’t tried before with your household or virtually (like Zoom, FaceTime or Skype) with family and friends. 
 
When your brain is fully aligned from the bottom-up, you are able to focus, work, and do complex thinking all while having the emotional and mental capacity to engage with others meaningfully. This is the time when it’s much easier to extend grace to others around us who are having a tough time, and who are also working on regulating the lower parts of their brain.
 
Before we close, let’s talk about what to do on a regular basis even when you are not feeling stressed. Try not to skip naps, sleep late or wake up early to do just one more thing. Take walks regularly and stop to smell the roses. Maintain a daily routine when working from home - get out of bed, take a shower and get dressed, keep your meal times and eat something healthy, and, go to bed on time. Be intentional about creating an environment that is healing. Keep your surroundings clutter-free, put up art on your walls that moves your eyes fluidly across the canvas, and start your day with a calming or grounding activity. Being trauma-informed is a way of life!

Many Native Americans celebrate Christmas. For many people, maintaining cultural and historical integrity is very important for a Christmas celebration. Some Native American communities host traditional tribal dances on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Among Tulalip Native Americans, gift giving is very important. Shopping and wrapping presents is one tradition that is widely practiced. At the Betty J. Taylor Early Learning Academy in Tulalip, young children spend several months learning songs in Lushootseed which is the Coast Salish Native Language. After much practice, and in non-COVID times, the children put on a program for their loved ones with singing and dancing. If you want a fun cultural experience with the children in your home or center, you can choose a story to read. Take a look at the Hibulb Cultural Center website at hibulbculturalcenter.org and go to the storytelling tab, then pick a story. The story “Lifting Up the Sky” is a creation story about everyone working together to make a difference. In the story, the eagle understood that everyone, no matter who they are, can make an impact.    
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Hanukkah - which means “dedication” in Hebrew - is a Jewish holiday and usually falls in November and/or December. This year Hanukkah is observed from sundown December 10, until sundown on December 18. Often called the Festival of Lights, the holiday is celebrated with the lighting of the eight candles on the menorah, traditional foods, games and gifts. On each of the holiday’s eight nights, another candle is added to the menorah after sundown; the ninth candle, the helper candle is used to light the others. This candle is also called the Sammas Candle and it means “Servant.” Jewish people typically recite blessings during this ritual and display the menorah prominently and proudly in a window of the home. The dreidel game is one of the most famous Hanukkah traditions. Each player spins the dreidel once during their turn. Depending on which side is facing up when it stops spinning, the player gives or takes game pieces from the pot. 

Click on the picture to the right for a tutorial of an awesome homemade dreidel that can be made from simple ingredients on the Hostess with the Mostess website!

December Featured Classes

Free STARS Credit COVID-19 Class

Stay updated on COVID-19 requirements and recommendations. The class is updated regularly to reflect the most current guidance. Click here for an informational flier.


Germbusters: The Importance of Handwashing in Child Care
Good handwashing is important in reducing the spread of germs in child care environments. Handwashing helps us to stay well. In this class, participants will develop a full understanding of how the handwashing steps work to get rid of germs, how to teach children about handwashing while managing handwashing in large groups, and the appropriate use of instant hand sanitizers. This is a level 1 basic class.