Christmas is SUCH a wonderful time of the year, but it also often brings heightened emotions from both adults and children, lots of 'out of routine' trips and visits, extra sugary treats that we maybe don't have as often usually, engagements with distant relatives who we don't know that well.... the list goes on.
Most children thrive on predictability, structure, rountine and organisation... often 4 things that go out of the window over Christmas. It can then lead to big feelings and emotions exploding out of their little bodies in ways that they can't always help nor control.
Here are 8 ways to support your child and help minimise them feeling overwhelmed and overstimulated:
Simplify the environment - have a big de-clutter and reduce what is out around the home, especially if extra decorations are being added in each room. Keep the visual 'noise' to a minimum and have a a calming, cosy and prepared environment.
Keep the rhythm - as much as possible, stick to your child(ren)'s normal routine. Whether it's having breakfast at the table each morning whilst you read a story, a bath and book before bedtime, a walk just before dinner... what ever you do on a 'normal' day, try and keep as many of those periods in your days, even over Christmas. This will help them to feel grounded and safe when they have familiar 'happenings' at particular times of day.
Schedule in some home time & down time - protect that time just to play and rest in their home environment. So often Christmas time is go go go. Visit this person, fly out Christmas shopping for those last bits, dash round the supermarket before heading to Nanny's house... Having scheduled down time when you and your child(ren) can just 'be' at home is so important to avoid the heightening of both yours and their emotions and senses. Know Nanny's house is going to be chaotic? Make sure that the afternoon when you get home is free from plans!
Consider the age-appropriateness and the 'who's it for' of festive activities - light trails, visits to Santa, Winter Wonderland... all amazing, all incredibly Christmassy... but are they necessary for your 1.5 year old who has no concept of Christmas? Does your 6 year old NEED to visit a 'Santa' or would they be happy baking mince pies at home and writing their Christmas list to leave by the chimney? There are SO many events on these days and 'things to do' being publisiced and sharing all over social media, but actually, baking gingerbread men and snuggling up together on the sofa to watch a Christmas movie are just as festive, cost less and allow for those special moments of connection too.
Spread out the gift giving - Christmas day is exciting and with that excitement comes heightened emotions and senses, which some children will need a lot of support to manage! Spreading out the gift giving may be a way to minimise those overwhelming feelings for your child(ren), as well as encougaging them to show gratitude and patience too. Perhaps have certain family members' presents in the morning, then others' after a mid morning snack, some after lunch... perhaps even some Christmas evening infront of the fire. For under 3s, you may even want to spread out the presents over December, or possibily even throughout January or following months. They often don't need it all in one go anyway!
Be food conscious - YESSSS we love the snacks and the goodies at Christmas time, and there is nothing wrong with eating them. However, for our child(ren), a whole day of chocolate here, sweet that there, pudding after that may cause them to become heightened and hyper before then crashing and not knowing how to manage themselves. Grandparents may love to offer chocolate buttons as a special festive treat, but do they really NEED another packet?!
Protect naptimes and rest time - although we aren't always home for Christmas, and are perhaps staying at a relative's house, we can get carried away with the days and Christmas dinner may fall slap bang in the middle of your little one's nap which Grandad is positive they need to sit through! Have those conversations with family and friends ahead of time to ensure that your child(ren) will be able to have periods of rest or naps during the day and that this is respected by everyone. No one wants an overtired toddler at the dinner table anyway - trust me! Plan in that afternoon buggy walk for a snooze in the fresh air, or know that the hour before food is a time to just chill and watch Stickman on the TV in a quiet room.
Have a 'space' to be and go at relative's houses - with Christmas being a season of such wonderful 'togetherness', it is often that there are lots of people in the house over the festive days. Finding a space, even if just a corner of a room, that your child knows they can be and play in happily can be a game changer to reducing overstimulation and stress. It may also be that you have a designated room elsewhere in the house that you know you can take your child(ren) if they're needing some time away from the hustle and bustle of everyone else, or from Uncle Dennis questionning what they're doing every 2 minute, or because actually they have reached the point of meltdown and are needing a private space to let out those feelings and reset. Talking to your hosts to sort this, or making a plan yourself if in your own home for Christmas, can be really beneficial ahead of time.
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