I absolutely love Christmas. In fact, I start listening to Christmas music right after Halloween. I’m always itching to put decorations up as soon as my other family members are willing. I love the magic of the season, the giving and the meaning behind all of it. By the time November begins, I’m ready to take on the holidays in full force as both a teacher and a mom.

If I’m being honest though, Christmas as a teacher mama is both magical and downright exhausting.

There are parties for both my own children and my students. There are gifts to buy and wrap for both family and school-related activities. There are parent gifts for students to make during class. There are volunteer opportunities both as a teacher and a mom. There are kid Christmas lists to make and Christmas Eve church clothes to buy. There are Christmas performances, holiday stores, get-togethers, holiday baking, and gift exchanges on repeat. I spend so much time in this season either at the grocery store or adding things to my list for next time.

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Then there’s the excitement of all the kids in my life, both my own children and my students.

Thanks to inside recess and holiday fun, their energy is at an all-time high at every moment of my day whether at home or at work—for weeks. On top of all the festivities, the school quarter is ending which means there is so much extra work to be done for teachers.

At Christmastime, it’s easy to get overwhelmed as a teacher mama—and those feelings of stress are completely valid.

Fully knowing the school vs. home holiday tsunami will overtake my entire schedule is why, at this very moment, I am deciding to prioritize peace. A little peace can go a long way, like a glimmer of Heaven here on Earth.

For me, peace looks like spending quiet time sipping coffee in the mornings while listening to “O Come All Ye, Faithful.”

Peace looks like reading the Christmas story over and over again in my Bible and just letting it soak into my soul.

Peace looks like saying “no” to things that add stress, not joy for our family.

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Peace means finding meaningful ways to give to others and trusting the Lord to provide the energy I need to keep giving.

Peace means setting a timer for a few minutes when I get home from work to just sit in the quiet while my own kids watch TV.

Peace means taking naps if I need to and asking my husband for help instead of trying to manage everything on my own.

Peace means last year’s Christmas dress and store-bought pie crusts.

This is my official promise to myself to prioritize moments of peace this Christmas season as a teacher mama, and I hope others will do the same. 

This holiday season, if you are a teacher and a mom, I see you and I’m praying for you to find pockets of peace.

I hope you get enough sleep and enjoy the wonder of Christmas through the eyes of all the children in your life.

I hope your Walmart order has all items in stock from now until February at the very least.

I hope the families of your students let you know just how much you are appreciated.

I hope your own kids get to participate in their favorite holiday traditions with you by their side.

Leading up to Christmas Day, I hope there’s more laughter than tears in your classroom and in your living room.

I hope you get all the photos you want with you looking as beautiful as ever, even if you are wearing last year’s Christmas dress.

I hope you know you are an amazing teacher and such a good mom, even on the days your patience has worn as thin as the layer of ice in the school parking lot. You are truly making an impact on the future of our world when you are at work and when you are at home.

I hope you remember this season is short and intense at school, but it is almost Christmas break.

I hope you spend your whole break doing the things you love with the kids who are nearest and dearest to your heart: your own children.

I see you in this season, teacher mamas, and I hope your heart, your classroom, and your home are filled with God’s peace.

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Taylor Hagemeyer

Taylor Hagemeyer goes by both “mama” and “Mrs. H.” She has a husband who loves her like Jesus does. She was blessed to have both a daughter and a son. She holds a master’s degree in early childhood special education and is a pre-kindergarten teacher in a small town in Nebraska. She believes play is the way to all learning. She is a children’s book author who wants the world to be a kinder place. You can find “Things That Rhyme With Autism,” a book she wrote for her students, on Amazon. You can also follow along on Facebook- Grow Home With Me and Instagram- @growhomewithme for more writing, play ideas and peeks of her succulent garden.

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