I’m assuming that Chanuka in a home with two working parents is quite different than what others experience.

While we love the holiday, it’s sometimes hard to make it special.  The people I spend my work-day with don’t celebrate the holiday.  Since I spend the days at work it’s easy for me to treat the 8 days of Chanuka like any other day.

While I don’t like that that can happen, I want to try extra hard to make sure it’s not like that for my children.  Even with a busy schedule, there are still ways we can make sure to make Chanuka as special that it should be.

3 Ways We Make Chanuka Special

1.  Light the Menorah Together

I get home from work late.  While I’m driving home from the train I pass by houses with beautifully lit menorahs.  I sometimes start feeling jealous that I’m not already home with my own lit menorah, but what can I do?  With all the days I already take off for yom tov, I cannot afford to take off for the entire Chanuka too!

I know that lighting menorah is something that I want my kids to experience.  They learn about it in school and I want to make sure that they see it at home, so I try to make every effort to at least light the menorah together on the first night of Chanuka.  If that means coming home a bit early or putting the kids to bed late, then that is what I have to do.

Not all 8 days of Chanuka are super special, but at least it starts off on the right foot.

2.  Have a Game Night

My kids know that on Chanuka you’re supposed to play with a draidel.  Nevermind that  they don’t know the rules and cannot spin one themselves.  They just want to play it.  So while we may not play an official game of draidel, we do try to have a game night.  Friday, Motzei Shabbos and Sunday nights lend themselves well to this.  I love spending time with my family when they’re all having a great time.

3. Eat Special Chanuka Food

Like most kids, mine LOVE to eat.  They do eat healthy food, but LOVE the unhealthy stuff.  I don’t really know any Chanuka treats that are healthy, so treating my kids to latkes and jelly donuts is something we all enjoy.  It gives my kids something to look forward to and is easy for me to buy.  Yes, you read that right.  With such a busy schedule, we’re going to have to enjoy the store-bought versions just as much as we would the homemade ones.

I want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very happy Chanuka!  How do you balance religion and work?

Until next time,
Shaindy