7 ways to prevent holiday stress — for your children

Follow me on Twitter @drClaire The holidays can be hectic — and tense. Between buying presents (expensive and nerve-racking), holiday events (how many holiday concerts can there be?), entertaining (so much cooking), traveling, and family gatherings (which are not always as pleasant as we might like), what should theoretically be fun has a way of becoming stressful. It can be stressful for kids, too. Okay, they aren’t driving long distances, dealing with office parties, or managing a credit card bill. But it is stressful nonetheless. Routines are off, there are so many expectations, and the ambient stress has a way of affecting children too. Here are seven ways to prevent and reduce holiday stress for children this season. 1.  Manage your own stress. Not only are you setting an example, there’s just no way to stop your children from sensing your stress and being affected by it. It’s kind of like the safety message we hear every time we get on an airplane: if you are flying with a child and the oxygen masks drop, you should put yours on first and then put on the child’s. You’re no good to anyone if you can’t function. Try to be self-aware. Set aside time for yourself. Create code words that your partner and friends can use to let you know when you are starting to act like a snippy, crazy person. Practice self-care. Get enough sleep. Speaking of sleep… 2.  As much as possible, keep routines the same. Kids do best when routines are predictable — and healthy. ...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Behavioral Health Children's Health Parenting Stress Source Type: blogs