8 Useful Parenting Tips This Holiday Season
The holiday season is here! This is a special time for family fun and togetherness. But with the holiday rush, the to-do list seems to grow exponentially by the minute. Keep things organized and prioritize communication for a smooth transition.
This time of year provides great opportunities to expose children to new ideas and information, reinforce skills, knowledge, and encourage creativity.
Incorporate these tips into your holiday schedule and you’ll be on your way to less stressful holiday season filled with joyful moments and memories.
1. Stay Calm, Carry On
Keep a calm environment. If you’re anxious about the holiday to-do list, your children will pick up on this and begin to act out. Every day, find ways to keep your own cup full. If you’re running on empty, you won’t be able to help your kids stay on an even keel.
2. Schedule a Helping Hand
It’s okay to ask for help! For many the holidays means endless errands, events, cleaning, presents wrapping, and more. Alleviate some of the pressure by scheduling a sitter weekly during the month of December. This gives you a few days to pencil in errands, self care routines, and time to socialize with friends.
3. Have Conversations About Upcoming Travel and Social Events
Time to break out the calendar! Visualization is a great tool to show kids what will happen each day. Make it a craft activity by constructing a picture book, each page represents a new day. Have them draw what they’re excited about. Set aside some time in the morning to describe the day ahead and address any questions they might have.
4. Practice Social Situations By Making It A Game
Use play with your child to practice polite greetings like a wave and a hello. Talk ahead of time about which relatives they will be meeting and who they are. When arriving to an event, some children take a while to warm up to new people so try to respect your child’s pace and allow them to greet relatives how and when they feel comfortable. This is all about setting your kids up for success, you can be pro-active in boosting their confidence walking into social situations by role playing. Go over expectations in the car before you arrive, or make a game of it before you go. Think sincere encouragement.
“What do you say when Grandma June gives you a present?”
“What if you don’t like the present?”
“What if you don’t like the dinner that’s served?”
“When you want to leave the table, how do you ask?”
“What will you do if the cousins start arguing?”
5. The Food Power Struggle Is Real
Tantrums often stem from hunger. Food is a huge part of holiday festivities, from sweets to big family feasts. This means there are many new foods and smells that are of no interest to the kids table.
It’s normal for children resist eating unknown foods (this is a protective behavior based on instinct not defiance) remember this when you get frustrated. Instead of insisting, place familiar foods near the new ones and let your little one decide what they are willing to try.
Does your kiddo have a sweet tooth? Try to be proactive and set a limit on how many sweets are allowed and then stick to it. You man even want to speak with your relatives in advance about limiting treats. Bring along an emergency snack bag with small protein-rich snacks to avoid hunger induced tantrums while the adults are deciding where and when to go to dinner.
6. Stress-Free Air Travel
If possible book an early morning departure. Arrive early enough that they get a post car ride “run” around in the airport hallway before sitting still on the plane. If there are two adults, send one to pre-board and grab an overhead bin, while the other one waits to board with your child, to minimize the time he has to sit in his seat. Make sure to change diapers and use the bathroom just before boarding. If you use overnight diapers (more absorbent), you might get lucky and avoid diaper changes on the flight. Special secret for painless flights: Bring small wrapped “presents” – books, treats, chapstick, puzzles, simple crafts – for each child. Kids can look forward to getting one as soon as they’ve buckled their seat belts, and several more whenever you need a distraction mid-flight. Be sure to bring bottles, sugar-free lollipops or something else to suck on during take-off and landing to minimize ear pain in those little ear drums.
7. Realistic Expectations
Have a lot of adult time planned this holiday season? Not overestimating your kids’ patience and ability to focus will help you enjoy yourself more, too. Just like with air travel, make sure to have some activities packed to occupy the kids. Bring along a new book, one that they are excited about reading. If they aren’t able to read yet, pack the iPad with a favorite movie downloaded on Netflix. Schedule outdoor activities like visiting a playground or park for some fresh air and physical activity.
Follow these tips to help you kids rise to the occasion. Wishing your family a wonderful holidays!