The holiday season is upon us! With all the fun it brings, it also carries with a significant amount of stress for both the parent and the child. This leads us to the topic of our blog today! How to keep your and your child’s sanity through this holiday season!
“I think there must be something wrong with me, Linus. Christmas is coming but I’m not happy. I don’t feel the way I’m supposed to feel.”
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Parental Stress Affects Your Youth
Youth are very sensitive to their parental unit’s stress. Research has proven that young babies can become deathly ill when there is conflict within the home. (Ever heard of failure to thrive?) Everyone knows that the holidays, though they are supposed to bring joy and thankfulness, also brings along a TON of stress. Kids pick up on this. It is important to try to keep everything as normal as possible during this time. But how is that possible?!
Funny You Should Ask!
There are a few things that kids desperately need in order to keep their behavior in check. The first one we are going to talk about is their bed time! Making sure your youth gets enough sleep every night is imperative to maintain optimal brain function. Kids are growing so their bodies are already exhausting more energy than ours. When family is around and celebration is in the air, it can be tough to keep a consistent bedtime. A tip to help is, make going to bed a positive experience. Meaning, they get rewarded when they go to bed willingly at their bedtime such as dessert before bed, you read them a story, or they get to watch 30 minutes of their favorite show….whichever reward best suits your child.
In addition to sleep, your child needs to maintain a healthy diet. Typically during the holidays we feel like we don’t have enough time in the day to accomplish everything, much less cook a healthy meal. We opt for fast food as opposed to taking the time to cook. This holiday season, try to schedule your activities around the time you usually cook your meals.
Final Words of Wisdom
My last piece of advice is to avoid over scheduling. You can only be in so many places at once. Do not try to please everyone. Your family’s sanity is more important than trying to please everyone. People understand that the holidays are busy! They are going through the exact same things as you! Just remember to relax and enjoy the holidays with your family. Your vibes are going to rub off on your kids and thus, create better behavior.
