How can you reduce stress for you and
your little ones.
I'm not going to get into a long winded
speech about why holiday are stressful on little ones, I'm just
cutting to good stuff. What can we do about it?
1. Outings. Make only 1 or 2 stops in a
day. Do not go all day to the mall, stop off at shoppers, pick
something up from the post office and then squeeze in grabbing milk
at walmart. It isn’t' fair the little ones your dragging with you.
Plan better. Plan your week and only tackle about 2 stops before naps
and 2 stops after. MAX
2. Keep 'em busy. Create
tasks/crafts/bags that are toddler friendly. Have a basket above your
fridge filled with new books, toys and busy bags for toddlers to play
with. Stuff they haven't seen before when your busy on the phone or a
unexpected guest stops by and needs your attention.
3. The tree. Allow your toddlers to
help put up decorations. Let them decorate the half the tree they can
reach. Blocking your tree off just has your babies more curious and
find ways to get at the tree to pull it apart. Instead take the time
to 'teach' them how to be gentle and how to put the ornaments on the
tree. Make sure the stuff they can touch are baby friendly.
4. Gear shifting. Introduce simple
songs to help with transitions. A 'clean up' song or a 'goodbye' song
can be enough of a trigger to help relieve the stress of being taken
to and from places abruptly. We all like to know, 'what's next' so
make sure your telling your toddler the agenda.
5. Errands. Have a holiday schedule for
yourself and your children. Knowing what to expect in the day will
dramatically reduce stress. We have a fridge schedule, that tells us
if we are going out to a
playdate/preschool/party that day. If
we are baking cookies, doing crafts or driving to see Christmas
lights. Let them know what to expect in the day.
6. Parties. We are not the same some of
us love lots of company, some of us can only handle 2-3 people at a
time. If your attending a Christmas party, remember to read your
toddlers signals, they may be getting tired, hungry or
overstimulated. Cases of biting and hitting increase around the
holidays for some of these reasons. Keep your party short, be
prepared to go home early or have good sitters in place if you know
your toddler won't last. When something does happen, pick up the baby and give them a hug, ask them if they are tired or hungry. Guess on how they may be feeling and think about leaving for home.
7. Food. Ahhh... the cookie season.
Increased wheat and sugar during this time of year can spike your
children's sugar levels and disallow logical thinking skills. Try to
hold off on giving too many treats in the day. Or buy special treats
like raspberries and mango (expensive this time of year, but worth
it) Cut their sugars with water/fresh veggies/protein. Keep out water
all day long on the counter in their sippies. Get rid of juice for
the month. Take your treats you get from friends and family and
regift or put them away, so you have control on when they get them.
Don't give any sugar treats an hour before bed. Best time of day is
mid day when you are out and about.
8. Breathe. Start with yoga in the
morning. A great utube video you can look up is called, "Cosmic
Kids" It's fun yoga for kids. Talk to them and let them try it
out with you. Funny to watch toddlers do this. It teaches them you
value meditation, relaxation, breathing. It shows them how to take
care of yourself first, so you can tackle the day.
9. Santa. If you know your little one
may be shy or nervous with the big guy. Opt to NOT have them sit on
Santa's lap, but allow them to see and talk with him from afar. The
lines can be stressful and nerve racking as well for kids, making the
hype increase as they wait. Highstreet in Abbotsford texts you when
it's your turn and you get a private meet with Santa. No lines, and
no loud distractions or crying when you visit.
10. Presents. Keep it simple. Toddlers
don't need a lot of extra 'things' to play with. Keep it down to 2
toys, some clothes and ask grandparents to give the gift of money for
soccer/swimming/signing/gym time etc. Keep sugar out of the
stockings. Add a few toys and some slippers, an orange and raisin
boxes.
Happy Holidays!
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