1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:15,880 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: tip is that Christmas tends not to really be over 4 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:23,920 Speaker 1: on December twenty fifth. Many people are still off work, 5 00:00:24,440 --> 00:00:27,360 Speaker 1: but even if they aren't, many kids are still off 6 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 1: of school. To avoid going stir crazy, it is best 7 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:34,720 Speaker 1: to figure out a plan for this post holiday time 8 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 1: of year. Don't let it catch you by surprise. A 9 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:43,960 Speaker 1: lot of December is spent in the build up to Christmas. 10 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 1: If your family celebrates this holiday, and particularly if you 11 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 1: do stockings and presents on Christmas Morning, then a lot 12 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:54,480 Speaker 1: of the holiday prep does have to happen by then. 13 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 1: But then what My kids are generally out of school 14 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:03,240 Speaker 1: until January first teach year this year. Since January first 15 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:06,680 Speaker 1: is on a Thursday, they go back to school on Monday, 16 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:10,640 Speaker 1: January fifth. I don't have to tell you that there 17 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:13,920 Speaker 1: is a lot of time between December twenty fourth and 18 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:18,320 Speaker 1: January fifth. This is one reason we are traveling this year, 19 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 1: but we don't always, and even someone taking a few 20 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:24,200 Speaker 1: days away would still have a lot of days to 21 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:28,280 Speaker 1: work with. Not everyone gets this many vacation days either, 22 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 1: so best to come up with a plan, so each 23 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:35,200 Speaker 1: day is a repeat of those early days of COVID 24 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 1: when we were trying to work with kids at home underfoot. 25 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 1: I'm not sure how many people remember that time fondly. First, 26 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 1: if you do plan to work, then you and your 27 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:50,280 Speaker 1: partner if you have one, need to figure out a 28 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: schedule for who is with the kids. You could trade 29 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:56,560 Speaker 1: off and each party could take the kids out to 30 00:01:56,640 --> 00:02:00,400 Speaker 1: various trampoline parks or science museums or what have you 31 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 1: each day, or you could enroll your kids in a 32 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 1: break camp, which many communities have, as do many commercial 33 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:12,360 Speaker 1: establishments like rock climbing gyms. Even if you do plan 34 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:15,680 Speaker 1: to take all these days off work, you are probably 35 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 1: going to want at least something of a break, So 36 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 1: establish a few hours at least when you will trade 37 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:24,280 Speaker 1: off with your partner or you will hire a babysitter. 38 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 1: As for the time you are covering, why not make 39 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:32,840 Speaker 1: a post holiday fund list. There might be items from 40 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 1: your original holiday fund list that you haven't gotten to 41 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:40,320 Speaker 1: yet but that are still available, or you might want 42 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 1: to repeat them. For instance, if you wanted to go 43 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:46,760 Speaker 1: ice skating, I am guessing that your ice skating rink 44 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 1: doesn't close after Christmas, Lots of light displays will still 45 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 1: be lit. The Nutcracker may still be being performed. Indeed, 46 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:02,080 Speaker 1: these are all things even people who aren't tending small 47 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:07,000 Speaker 1: kids might choose to do to stretch out the holiday fun. 48 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:09,640 Speaker 1: If the weather is terrible in your part of the 49 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: world in late December and early January, you might look 50 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 1: for some indoor fun. Make a list of the indoor 51 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:20,680 Speaker 1: options for families in your community and create a rough schedule. 52 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 1: When can you go to a movie? When should you 53 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:27,760 Speaker 1: do an escape room? For bonus points, you might try 54 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 1: to get other people to join you. Speaking of which, 55 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 1: play dates are a great way to fill the post 56 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 1: Christmas hours. Over the holidays, it might be possible to 57 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:42,200 Speaker 1: have more of a family playdate. Go hang out with 58 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:44,560 Speaker 1: another family and the kids can play in one area 59 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:48,320 Speaker 1: while the adults chat in another. You might make visits 60 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 1: to extended family members. Indeed, it can be fun to 61 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 1: have an extended family celebration after Christmas so you can 62 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 1: stretch out the gift giving fun. And who knows, maybe 63 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 1: some relatives will take the kids for a bit while 64 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 1: you are there, giving mom and dad a break. We 65 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:13,680 Speaker 1: often plan tightly in the weeks before Christmas, because there 66 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:17,159 Speaker 1: is so much schedule during this time. It is not 67 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:20,640 Speaker 1: easy to get to all the holiday performances and parties 68 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:23,039 Speaker 1: and get enough work done to be ahead of the 69 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 1: game for the time off over the holidays. But then 70 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:30,120 Speaker 1: we get to the holidays and everything is a lot 71 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:35,120 Speaker 1: less tight. That is fine in some ways, but when 72 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 1: your kids have been watching YouTube for ten hours straight 73 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 1: but still interrupting you every ten minutes, things might feel 74 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:48,360 Speaker 1: a little bit crazy. Making best to avoid that if possible. 75 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: Think through the week after Christmas, and you might just 76 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 1: feel festive and merry rather than harried. And I want 77 00:04:58,240 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 1: that for everyone listening to this in the meantime, This 78 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:09,080 Speaker 1: is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making the 79 00:05:09,120 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 1: most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. 80 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:23,680 Speaker 1: If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach 81 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:33,440 Speaker 1: me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast 82 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, 83 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:41,839 Speaker 1: please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 84 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:43,160 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.