Kids Health The Newsletter About Taking Care Of The Ones That Matter Most
“Are You&Your Child On The Same Page This Holiday Season? December, 2017 YOUR KIDS: COPING WITH THE HOLIDAYS
While parents may feel the brunt of the stress load associated with the holidays, children are certainly anything but immune to it. Kids are perceptive to changes in their parents moods, and the added stress on the parents can add up to added stress for the whole family. What’s more, the pressure that parents feel to make the holidays memorable and fun often means disruption to the regular routine, and this is something that a lot of kids can struggle with—and this difficulty is only amplified for kids who have special needs. Helping Kids Cope with the Holiday Spirit The holidays really can be the most wonderful time of the year, but in order for the holiday spirit to have a positive effect on your family, you are going to have to make a concerted effort to not let stressors interfere with your fun. When children are stressed out or feel uncertain in their surroundings they are more likely to become disruptive—which could add up to extra stress when all that planning doesn’t end up going Mom and Dad’s way. Being proactive about how you will handle the extra pressure of the holidays is especially important when you are caring for a child with special needs. There are several ways that you can help prepare your child for what is to come. For example, keeping the routine as close to normal as possible, especially in the evening, can prove very beneficial. There are plenty of family traditions that make the holidays special, and you may look forward to those activities all year round. Keeping the routine as close to normal as possible when you plan for those activities may help ensure that everyone has a good time. Schedule dinner parties as close to your standard dinner time as possible, for example. When an evening routine is close to normal, it is a lot easier for your child to stay calm and still get a restful night of sleep, which is important for their personal well-being. Help your child be ready for what is to come by having discussions about what is ahead. Let them know early in the day that you will be doing something special, and help them understand what they can expect. Surprisesaregreat,butsometimeskidswithspecialneedsdon’tappreciate them as much as others do. Helping your child understand what is to come will help you and your child have a more enjoyable experience when the time comes. Keep in mind that the holidays are already full of change. School is out, and even the type of music on the radio begins to change as everyone
starts thinking about this time of the year. This can be a lot of change for a child, so the more you can keep routine and the better you can build their expectations for what is to come the more enjoyable they will find the holiday season.
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