Although Christmastime is typically a joyful season for many families, it can also be an incredibly stressful time for parents with young children. The festive season can be very confusing and overwhelming for little ones, as their routine is completely out of sync, they’re often met with lots of unfamiliar family members, and their senses can go into overload.
If you’re worried about how your child is going to handle the upcoming Christmas holidays, then we are here to help! In this article, we have set out our top 5 pieces of advice on how to help your child through the festive season, which will in turn allow your family to have as much of a stress-free Christmas as possible.
Stick to routine
Obviously, we know that it can be near-impossible to continue your usual routine over the festive season. Despite this, sleep is still incredibly important for your child, especially when it’s likely that they will lose quite a bit of it the night before Christmas. So, if you can, make sure that your child is getting enough sleep for a few nights before the big day. If you can, try to keep meals to your usual times, too, as this will further help your little one to get the best night’s sleep possible.
Explaining is key
Put yourself in your child’s shoes - when you are faced with a situation that you are unprepared for, it can be extremely nerve wracking. Coming up to the holidays, we suggest that you should sit down with your child and take them through a rough guide of what you and your family will be doing throughout Christmas week. Whether it be going on a visit to see Santa, meeting up with relatives they have never met before, going to a carol service or going out for a meal, give your little one as many details as possible, so there won’t be any surprises for them.
Everything in moderation
For many of us, Christmas food is all about sweets, chocolates and desserts. However, too much sugar will only cause your child to have an immense sugar high and an intense, grumpy crash afterwards. If you can, try to moderate your child’s sugar intake throughout the festive period. For example, instead of having chocolates on display as a free-for-all, organise a few set times throughout the day for sweets, which will in turn prevent your little one from endlessly munching on all that sugar.
Playtime at dinnertime
As we all know, the Christmas dinner can last for hours, and that in itself can be a stressful scenario for a young child to be stuck in. For young minds, having to sit amongst a table of grown-ups for hours on end can be endlessly frustrating and exhausting. To try and combat this, we would recommend allowing your child to have a handful of toys with them at the dinner table. Of course, the quieter the toy, the better - you don’t want loud playtimes to be disrupting the conversation! This way, you don’t need to cut your Christmas dinner short, and your child will be able to entertain themselves and any other young guests at the table.
Always say thank you
At Christmas, there is almost always a guarantee that either you or one of your loved ones will receive a present that they will secretly be disappointed by. However, when it comes to young children, they usually have no filter and will be unable to hide their upset. So, before the big day arrives and they start to receive lots of presents, have a discussion with your child about being polite about every present. Explain to them that it’s okay to not like a gift, but they shouldn’t express their dissatisfaction to the friend or family member that gave it to them. Instead, suggest to your child that they should keep their real reaction to themselves for the time being, and keep their upset until they have returned home or your guests have left.
