KID-FRIENDLY CELEBRATIONS Something for Everyone this Holiday

KID-FRIENDLY CELEBRATIONS

WITH SO MANY GROWN-UP pres-

sures and stresses that come with the holiday season, it’s easy to overlook how the change in routine, family overload and general holiday hubbub affects children. Kids are generally stereotyped as loving everything about the holidays, but the truth can be very different.

According to a 2019 study published in the Journal of Pediatrics, about 1.9 million children between the ages of 3 and 17 have been diagnosed with depression and 4.4 million have been diagnosed with anxiety disorder. Plus, nearly 6.1 million kids between the ages of 2 and 17 have been diagnosed with ADHD, per a 2018 study published in the Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology.

Now, add to these conditions the changes in routine, abundant sugary foods, crowds of relatives and lack of personal space that come along during holiday season and it’s little wonder many kids struggle under the weight of it all. Not to mention, kids feed off the people around them, so if Mom and Dad are stressed out (and who isn’t at some point during the holidays) that’s going to rub off on them, too.

Wesley Morgan, a counselor with Methodist Family Health in Little Rock, said planning makes holiday life considerably easier and is generally more mindful when done well in advance.

“Planning ahead can minimize the stress of the season,” she said. “Use a calendar to schedule your holiday events and make a list of what needs to be handled; the earlier we can get our minds wrapped around doing that, the better we’re going to feel. Having a plan in place reduces the fear of the unknown of what’s going to come up.

“There are people who want to start listening to Christmas music right now. That’s not necessarily me, but I have noticed with my own family that whenever I start earlier, I don’t feel as stressed out two weeks before the holiday. Taking some things off your plate such as starting decorating or shopping earlier can help reduce the household stress of the holiday season itself.”

Advanced planning not only helps keep things on schedule and calmer — like shopping in the off-season to avoid holiday crowds — it also shows parents pretty quickly how overloaded the calendar can get. Chances are you can trim some things back, thereby reducing the fatigue factor on everyone and allowing you to pay closer attention to how your kids are feeling.

“One of the things that makes the holidays difficult is everything being so crammed together,” Morgan said. “We have basically a month and maybe a week to go from Thanksgiving right through New Year’s Day. We say yes to a lot of extra things in that time and we lose the joy and peace of the holiday season because we are overextended.

“And because we are overextended, we sometimes miss what others are feeling. The holidays can be a really happy time for families and kids, but it can also remind us of sad times of people who are no longer with us and have passed away.”

Your holiday plan should also pay specific attention to the kids in your home needing something to do. This will not only keep

“As a family, we have to take steps to remind ourselves what we love about the holiday season and try to capitalize on that as a whole.”

them entertained and engaged, it can reduce the stress of adults by cutting down on chaos and even provide some needed help.

“Scheduling activities with children is really a good thing to do because if you don’t have a plan with children it’s going to feel a little more chaotic,” Morgan said. “They’re kids, right, they want to play and they want to interact. They get a little bit more mischievous if there’s nothing going on that they would enjoy.

“Kids thrive on schedules. I have seven nieces and nephews on one side, plus two children of my own and that’s a lot of kids. We did Christmas crafts and that was very scheduled; my sisters-in-law and myself took on a craft each. Decorating cookies was also added into the activities just to keep the children busy and so they can be a part of the holiday fun.”

Morgan said with proper planning and some deliberate forethought, parents can keep the proper perspective, which in turn will make things better for everyone.

“It is easy to let the fun of getting together slip away,” she said. “As a family, we have to take steps to remind ourselves what we love about the holiday season and try to capitalize on that as a whole.” n

TIPS FOR HASSLE-FREE FAMILY HOLIDAYS

MODEL HEALTHY COPING SKILLS. You can’t expect your kids to relax and enjoy if you’re not showing them how. See Page 6 for suggestions on managing your own holiday blues. KEEP A ROUTINE. Structure is essential for kids and can help them retain feelings of being in control of situations and their environment. Try to minimize upheaval of meal and sleep schedules as much as possible. DON’T OVERSCHEDULE. Figure out what’s essential, drop what isn’t and don’t be afraid to say no. Ask your kids what events are most important to them to give everyone a voice in the process. PRACTICE KINDNESS AND GRATITUDE. Doing for others not only provides activities, it also feels good. As a family, find ways to serve an elderly neighbor or the less fortunate around you as a way to connect your children to the true meaning of the holidays.

SOURCE: YOUTHDYNAMICS.ORG

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