Seems a little early, I know, but we all know what’s coming — running here and there, snow (at least in some places), decorations, parties, wrapping ... This is stressful enough for adults, let alone the children caught in the middle of mom and dad’s plans.
Thanksgiving and Christmas are supposed to be times of connecting with family, and yet we’re so busy, we don’t really seem to connect with anyone. The kids get overstimulated, overtired and don’t really, actually enjoy things.
So, it’s good to sit back now and get ourselves settled on some strategies to help Christmas seem a lot less chaotic and a lot more joyful and triumphant.
Keep it Simple
Learn to say "no." It seems pretty simple, but can be the hardest thing to put into practice. You don’t need to attend every event.
Decide which events are absolute must-dos and which ones you don’t need to go to. You may not have all the dates yet, but you can still pick and choose those events right now. When you do get the final details, try to keep to a schedule that won’t disrupt the family’s normal rhythm too much.
Learn to say "no" to overdoing the decorations and the gifts as well. While the decorating is fun and the kids are probably expecting a lot of gifts, Christmas isn’t about how many gifts we buy or receive or how many strands of garland or lights we get up.
Sometimes, Christmas is simpler simply because our busy lives interfere, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes less is more and means more.
Manage your Stress by Indulging Your Senses
Children know instantly when mom is stressed and you don’t even have to say anything. One of the keys to helping them — and you — enjoy the holidays is to manage your stress. One way to do that is to slow down and appreciate individual moments that create the memories of this time of year—the sights, the smells, the sounds.
Don’t just rush by them. Take a few moments to stop and enjoy them, smell them, touch them. “After a few minutes of sensory indulgence, your heart rate will slow and your muscles will relax.” (1)
Establish New Traditions
This is a tricky one because there may be resistance to changing the way things are done because they’ve been done that way for however many years. The thing is new traditions don’t have to be expensive or elaborate.
In fact, setting a dollar limit on gifts, or making them yourself, or each family member drawing the name of a person to buy a gift for can actually save money, make Christmas a whole lot less overwhelming — and be a lot of fun.
Help Others
One of the reasons the Thanksgiving/Christmas rush can be so stressful is we’re all focused on us, and our schedule, and our dinners and the right gifts and right amount of gifts for our children. One of the greatest ways to get the focus off of us — and a chance for our children to get the focus off of them — is to help someone else.
It may be as simple as letting the person behind you at the checkout line go first, helping someone out to their car with their packages, volunteering some time for the various fundraisers or toy drives.
Make it a family event that you all do together. Sometimes letting our kids see the impact our efforts have on someone else’s enjoyment of the season can make for a memory they’ll never forget.
Keep a 'Downtime' Space for Kids
Kids can easily get overstimulated and overstressed at parties and gatherings with all the lights and noise and people in one place. Make sure there is a specific space where the kids can get away from all that and calm down.
Keep Holiday Activities Kid-Oriented
You know it’s a bad idea to plan an ordinary shopping trip when your child is grumpy and is nearing meal time or nap time. The same consideration needs to be given to the activities on the holiday to-do list. If you’re going to be out during a child’s normal time to eat, pack a snack or a small meal.
If you’re buying gifts, get the kids involved in picking them out. If you’re preparing a meal, get the kids to help set the table, or pour the tomato juice, or help mash the potatoes, or scoop out the carrots — or taste-test the stuffing!
Sources:
1) Have Yourself a Merry Stress-Free Christmas. Bailey, Janet. Ladies Home Journal. Web. Oct 23, 2013.
http://www.lhj.com/health/stress/holiday/have-yourself-a-merry-stress-free-christmas/?page=1
2) Christmas Calm: Ten Tips for a Stress-Free Holiday Season. Ewer, Cynthia. Organized Home. Web. Oct 23, 2013.
http://christmas.organizedhome.com/reality-check/ten-ideas-stress-free-holiday-season
3) 12 Tips Reduce Christmas Stress Part I, II, III. Stress Free Kids.com. Web. Oct 23, 2013.
http://www.stressfreekids.com/5366/christmas-stress-free-holidays
Reviewed October 24, 2013
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith