The holidays can be stressful for parents, but can they be stressful for kids as well?
Kids can absolutely become stressed during the holidays due to travel, schedule changes, less sleep, being in larger crowds for holiday celebrations and even from being able to sense the tension of parents and caregivers.
There are things parents can do, however, to help insulate kids from stress and try to reduce stress once it has taken up residence in their child's life.
1. Try to help your child maintain a regular sleep schedule. An adequate amount of sleep will help your child function at this optimal level, as well as boost his immune system and overall sense of well-being. Sleep is reparative to our bodies and proper sleep is important for your child's physical growth, as well. To gain more insight into the importance of sleep, read Sleepless in America: Is Your Child Misbehaving...or Missing Sleep?
2. Laugh when possible. When laughter doesn't come easily, how about some holiday humor? These holiday jokes will help keep spirits bright. Laughter is good for both mental and physical health and provides protective factors for kids and adults alike. Laughing over shared jokes helps bond people together. As the quotes says, "Laughter is the shortest distance between two people." Just laugh...it does a body good.
3. Provide your kids (and yourself) with healthy meals and snacks. The hectic pace of the holidays may find you frequenting fast-food drive-through windows more often than you would like. Avoid this pitfall of a busy schedule by keeping your fridge and cupboards stocked with healthy snacks (low fat cheese sticks, fruits, yogurt, raisins, graham crackers) and packing a small insulated lunch box with these treats for a snack on the run. No time to cook dinner, even? A quick stop at the local grocer's deli can yield a nice broasted chicken. Just add a nice salad, some dinner rolls and fruit for desert. (Way healthier than the high-fat, high-sodium fare you will get at that drive-through!)
4. When in doubt, cut it out. If there are certain holiday traditions that YOU continue to do (card writing to a cast of hundreds, baking 30 varieties of holiday cookies, decking the halls so much that you can't recognize who lives there), but find them zapping you of joy and peace....cut it out! You may find this an odd suggestion to be added to a list about helping your child, but there is a reason. This goes back to the idea that kids are sensitive to the stress of their caregivers and parents. These energy-stealers also impact how you parent.
5. Let your child lead you. If you are schlepping your child from one holiday event to another, your may start to notice the wear and tear via her behavior. Ask your child what she would like to do. When given the choice, you may be surprised to see that your child is happier to stay at home with you and watch a DVD while enjoying a bowl of popcorn.
Just a little bit of planning and paring down can yield big results. It will keep the whole family singing "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" throughout the holiday season.
Comments
This is a great article, Wendy. You know, my kids are almost always likely to choose a cuddle movie night with some popcorn - over just about anything else. We try to laugh all day long with them, too. Few things are actually worth getting worked up over and laughing is such a great (and free) cure for the "bad" stuff the world throws our way. Anyway...just wanted to thank you for the article, as always.
Thanks for sharing, Shara. Kids really do like things simple and to spend time with us. They will remember that more than anything when they grow up. And we'll keep those fond memories, too! :-)
This is a great and timely article. I especially appreciate the part about "cutting it out." So true - there are times when you just need to simplify. Kid's need parents to role model this principle.
Deborah,
You are so right! It's hard for us to streamline, but the more we do it, the better we become at it! Happy Holidays to you and to yours!
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