It’s Christmas, and you have to work. This inconvenient truth could result in an angry wife, disappointed kids, a hungry dog, or elated in-laws, but it doesn’t have to be that way. There are still things you can do to save your Christmas and fight crime at the same time.
‘Tis the Season
Because we work in a 24/7/365 kind of job there’s no such thing as holidays. The criminals don’t care about calendars or clocks and they definitely don’t care about us. They do what they do on their schedule and so ours must suffer for it.
This time of year can be especially shocking for new officers and their families as they try to adjust to shift work and try to find a new normal. Maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed right now because ‘Tis the season, or maybe it’s the third Christmas you’ve worked in a row and things at home seem to be falling apart at the seams. Here are a few things you can do to steal back Christmas from your job and make the best of a sucky schedule:
Start New Traditions
One of the things a lot of us look forward to around the holidays is family traditions. There are things we do, food we eat, people we see, and places we go but once a year, and man, do we look forward to it. But then you became a cop and the job threw a big fat monkey wrench right into the middle of your tradition. Just the simple act of opening presents on Christmas morning is not going to be an option for you this year. So now what? Start a new tradition.
In years past when I worked Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or both, my wife and I had to come up with a workaround. We made small changes that have actually become new family traditions when we tried things like opening stockings on Christmas Eve, playing a board game and the winner got to open one gift, or planning to have our own Christmas on a different day altogether. When you start a new tradition to work around your schedule you take back control and start to happen to your job instead of your job always happening to you. The kids might be a little put off the first year because it’s not what you’ve always done, but make it fun, make it memorable, and they will look forward to it in the years to come, trust me. Even though now I have the seniority to get Christmas off, we still stick to the traditions we started when I was new in Patrol.
Shift Swaps
Not everyone celebrates Christmas, is married, has kids, or they would just rather work on Christmas anyway because they are the Grinch incarnate. Those are the people to seek out and work out a shift swap with. Maybe they would rather have another day off that is more important to them but for you it’s just any other day. Find those people and work a swap with them and you both win — assuming your department or your contract allows it. Swaps keep the shift covered and they won’t cost you vacation time.
Go Home
This might be too obvious, but if you live in town — or close enough for government work — go home on Christmas. Just do some forward thinking and tell Dispatch where you’ll be and keep your radio and your phone on so there’s no surprises. Let your route buddies know where you’ll be and either have them come too or ask them to take some of your calls so you can spend time with your family, then do the same for them. This is not rocket science. Just use some common sense, let others know, but don’t take advantage of them or shirk your duties. It’s just one way you might be able to kill two birds with one stone.
Go Virtual
Technology can be great, though it’s not a proper substitute for being physically present with your family. If all else fails, use Facetime, Zoom, or some other app to be with your family virtually. I hate to admit it, but none of that existed when I started and dinosaurs roamed the earth. All we had was crappy cell service with a 250-minute monthly limit on calls. So take advantage of the tech — you won’t be home but at least you’ll be able to see each other’s faces.
Go The Extra Mile
If you can’t get Christmas off and all your efforts to be with family have failed, don’t be a jerk to the rest of the world. It will only make you and your shift more miserable, along with everyone around you. In fact, I say be the opposite, and go the extra mile for each and every person who crosses your path. Be kind, be generous, and be patient — even to the people who don’t deserve it. I know, I know, some people take kindness as weakness. I’m not saying to be unsafe or any less tactical, but I am saying to go the extra mile as much as is within your power and as much as circumstances allow. You will be better for it.
Be Fully Present
Wherever you are, be where your feet are. When you are with friends and family, put your dang phone away and focus on who’s in front of you. Be engaged with your wife and your kids, undistracted by the cares of the world, the vortex of social media, and especially by the job. Don’t squander the time that you have with the people who matter by the noise of the things that don’t. Focus on quality, not quantity.
Our job is not easy. It takes a toll on us, but more so, it takes a toll on our families. Be ever mindful of that fact and make the most of your Christmas this year.
__________________________
- Do you have Christmas traditions?
- How can you make new ones when you have to work?
- Are you fully present when you’re with family, or are you distracted?
- How can you go the extra mile this year?
__________________________
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