Three Easy Ways to Lessen Holiday Stress

It's the most wonderful time of the year!  Well Christmas morning may be but the lead up to it can be quite overwhelming for young children.  We expect children to be "good" because Santa or the Elf is watching, but we are filling their days with baking, decorating, lights, trees, late nights, shopping, presents etc. and we want them to "behave". Kids thrive on structure and knowing what to expect. The Christmas chaos throws that out the window for sure.  As adults we get so wrapped up in the perfect Christmas we sometimes miss the simple things that will create the memories we are seeking.  Here are a few tips I have learned (it took me a while) through my own kids and observing many families over the years.

1.  Make sure you stick to bed times!  There are so many activities happening around this time of year.  Shopping, concerts, parties etc.  Try your best to make sure your child has enough rest!

2.  Behavioral expectations need to be appropriate and realistic.  Is everyone super excited about visiting Santa? Is your child apprehensive about the visit? It is during nap time or around a meal time? Are you feeling overwhelmed and frantic?  All these factors can play a role in your child's behavior. This may not be the time to expect any flexibility in your child's behavior.  Make sure to preset your child for activities and expectations.  

A good rule of thumb is one "extra" event per day so as not to overstimulate and overwhelm children. 

3. Don't overwhelm your child with presents.  A few carefully chosen presents may be more meaningful than several gifts they will not remember.  There is also no need to wrap everything.  Leave some items unwrapped and put them together beforehand. There is nothing more frustrating for a child than  unwrapping a toy and having to wait for it to be put together in order to play with it. Even games can be set up beforehand so they can be played without waiting.
  
Overall is it important to evaluate the situation and set your child up for success.  This is the time of year to create memories and new family traditions.  Utilize those moments, like reading special books, watching a favorite childhood Christmas movie or getting special PJ's to create organic memories. Those are the ones your child will remember later on.




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