Stop forcing Santa visits!

Don’t get me wrong, if your child enjoys the craziness of the crowds while waiting for their coveted visit with the big guy; by all means continue to take them!   But if they don’t want to go, don’t force them. 

I always cringe when I see children crying as they are pushed onto Santa’s knee.   Maybe the child would rather stand and chat to Santa with some space between them, or maybe he would simply rather not go.  We offer our son the choice.  Would I like to have the coveted yearly Santa photo to share with his grandparents?  Of course.  But, it is not worth causing distress.  Just like adults, children can experience anxiety during holiday season.  Here are some tips that help gets us through the holiday chaos so that we can enjoy the season:

1.     Maintain routine.  This can be challenging with school letting out.  But, the things we can control are bedtime and meal times.   Although it can be fun to bend the rules sometimes, it has been my experience that too many late nights or sugary treats can lead to emotional outbursts.

2.     Choose when you go out to run holiday errands.  Don’t go when your child is hungry or tired.   When you go out, bring snacks and build in breaks.  Even ten minutes sitting down for a quick snack can make a big difference.

3.     Trade off childcare with friends.  If you need to run to the grocery store and your child is worn out, see if he can hang out at a friend’s home for an hour.  Stores are very busy this time of year.

4.     Rid your vocabulary of the “have tos”.  You don’t have to see Santa and you don’t have to attend every holiday gathering you are invited to.  

5.     Take down time.  Build in family time where you don’t do anything but relax at home.  Play a board game, watch a movie, and just relax.

6.     And most importantly, model calm behaviour.   If you are wound up rushing around to get things done, your child will feed off it. 

I wish you all health and happiness this holiday season.