The holidays can prove stressful, not only
for adults, but children too. So here are some tips to help everyone enjoy
this special time of year…
Have
“Stay at Home” Days. It is a regular occurrence in our house for our son to announce it
is a “Stay at Home Day” on a Saturday after a busy week. I have learned to listen to his need for down
time, which benefits us parents too.
There are loads of holiday events going on, but you don’t need to attend
all of them! Choose the events that are
most meaningful to your family. You also
don’t need to be the last ones to leave a holiday gathering.
Take
Breaks. There is a lot of hustle and bustle about this
time of year. Want to prevent a meltdown? Take a break…a quick snack in a quiet corner
somewhere (even in the car) can go a long way in managing sensory
overload. You can also take advantage of
drop-off programs offered by your local community center, churches, and play
centers. Or trade off childcare with
friends.
Be
Flexible. Get
rid of the “have tos”. At
the end of the day, does it really matter if you have a Santa photo with your
child smiling? I gave up on this years ago. I
would rather not stand in a line up with a bunch of overly excited kids and
stressed out parents just to get the coveted Santa photo with my son becoming
more and more sensory overloaded with each agonizing minute waiting for his
turn. This year we were lucky to go to breakfast
with Santa at a local community center.
There were not a lot of people and our son did get a photo with
Santa…however he made mommy stay in the picture with him. It just makes it more special!
And Last But Not Least…
Remember
the Reason for the Season. Whatever that means for you and your family. For us, it means not just doing the required holiday
visits, but being in the moment and appreciating the love around us.
Just breathe…and a glass of wine or an
extra cookie never hurt anyone! Happy holidays everyone!
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