We at Care.com know how much you care about your children and all your family members enjoying Christmas. We also know that it can be a challenge if you have two or more generations under one roof for the holidays. So we have put together this easy-to-follow guide which we hope will help things run smoothly.
Time
It isn’t until a child is around 5 years of age, that they have even a basic concept of time. So telling your child that Christmas is a week, two weeks, or 5 days away, means very little to them. For all they know, a Christmas that is two weeks away could very well mean it’s tomorrow. So you can see how their frustration could set in and why the constant asking ‘when’s Christmas?’ happens. Try to translate time into something more tangible for them. Why not count the days down in sleeps. Try marking it visually on a calendar or timeline together. Do you have any memorable weekends coming up? Try speaking in terms of events. This weekend we’re going swimming, next weekend we’re going to the pantomime, and the one after that is Christmas.
Schedules
The festive season is prime ‘catching up with the family’ time — however, ensure that you factor in some ‘down time’. A few occasions when you’re not dashing around from house to house, or party to party. If this means crashing out on the sofa and watching a bit of mindless television, then so be it. Having an overloaded schedule can get stressful. In children, stress tends to translate into a bit of an emotional meltdown. It might mean declining a few invitations but try to keep everyone, yourself and children included, on an even keel. After all, when the children are relaxed, you’ll be far more relaxed too.
As well as not over-scheduling, try to keep established routines in place. Children respond well to structured routines as it helps them anticipate what’s about to happen and they understand what is expected of them, but when you let those slip they can find it extremely difficult to switch back into their old routine. For example, you may have a bedtime routine; into the bath at a particular time, followed by sharing a book and then off to sleep (hopefully!). You might be staying with friends or family, but as far as you’re able to, try to keep those routines in place. Your children will benefit from it, and in the long run so will you.
Enjoy yourself –
Whilst you’re navigating the holiday season, it’s a good time to take stock of what’s really important. Children love and value positive attention. They might hanker after the latest gadgets, or endless presents under the tree, but when it comes down to it, give them your undivided time and attention and they’ll soon forget about the mammoth present trail they once dreamt of.
Get the fire on, the refreshments in place and take time to wind down this holiday season- together.
