Today at Momscape.com: Are you an Earth Mother or a Creative Rainbow Mother? Find out.
Coupons | Product Reviews | Contests | Articles | Forums | Search | Subscribe
Family Fun | Parenting Tips | Romance | Health & Fitness | Organic Living | Weight Loss | WAHMs
Welcome Momscapers!
Momscape.com is an award winning online magazine delivering
uplifting personal essays
from real parents - plus
practical guidance on parenting,
family fun,
romance,
travel,
health & fitness,
weight loss,
and more.
We invite you to share your
MamaWisdom and to help us
spotlight
products that make your life as a mom easier or better while you
enjoy our money-saving
online coupons and
family travel
discounts.
We want to help you enjoy the
simple (and fine) things life has to offer.
Subscribe to Momscape >
or
Get Our Daily Coupon Updates by Email
Bookmark and share Momscape with your friends:
Today:
Online Coupons
Today's
Favorite Coupons
All Online
Coupons by Store
All Online Coupons by
Category
Printable
Grocery Coupons
Product Reviews
Momscape's
Favorite Things (Blog)
Top-Rated
Mom Product Reviews
Family Fun
Activities & Crafts
Family Travel
Deals
Free Scrapbooking Ideas
Parenting Articles
Baby Tips
Toddler Tips
All Parenting Articles
Inspiration/Essays
Relationships
Marriage
Romance
Friendships
Health
and Fitness
Fitness Tips
Natural Living
Nurturing Your Spirit
Weight Loss
Professional
Family Manager Tips
Home-Based Business
Community
MamaWisdom Forums
About Momscape
Subscribe
Site Map
Links
Link to Us
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service
About us
Contact Us
Holiday Stress Management
Parenting Strategies for De-Stressing the Holidays
by Paula Statman
www.kidwisecorner.com
Parenting
is a tough balancing act. It’s even tougher at holiday time, when
all the excitement can have a negative impact on children.
Having a flexible approach, setting priorities, and spending your time,
energy, and money wisely will help keep kids’ stress at bay and make the
holidays enjoyable for the whole family.
Holiday Stress is Contagious
It’s not realistic for parents to expect children to relax when they are
running around like crazy, shopping, baking, decorating, and becoming
stressed at the thought of blowing the holiday budget after just one
trip to the mall.
If parents are experiencing an increase in stress then so are their
children. Children reflect the mood of the household and the ideas and
values of the family. So if the parents are spinning out of control, the
kids will spin out of control, too.
How to Manage Kids’ Stress
1. Adjust Attitudes and Manage Expectations
Have a discussion before the holiday season begins. Pledge to make the
holiday season a time of love and peace, not a time focused on material
goods and gifts. Talk to your children about the true meaning of
the holiday season depending on your faith and heritage.
Kids need some degree of control and predictability. Prolonged
uncertainty, constantly changing plans or last minute decisions can all
increase stress. Include your children in holiday planning sessions, and
let them know the final details well in advance. This will give them a
chance to prepare themselves emotionally for the visits, dinners and
other running around of the season.
Holiday shopping can be overwhelming for kids, so help them decide in
advance who to buy for, what to buy and how much to spend. Or even
better, discuss with your kids how they can make appropriate gifts for
family and friends.
Manage your kids’ expectations. Don’t promise things you can’t produce.
For example, don’t promise a parent will be home in time for the
holidays if the decision is really out of your control. Don’t try
and compensate for an absent family member with lots of gifts. What most
kids really want is your time and attention.
2. Create Rich and Meaningful Experiences
Don’t underestimate how important traditions are to you and your
children. Family traditions offer great comfort and security for
children when everything in their lives is being disrupted by the
holiday season. Focus on experiences rather than spending.
Help children think about giving as well as getting. What they can
do for the community, even at a young age, helps them understand that
the world is about “we” rather than “me.” Propose ideas such as
baking cookies and delivering them to a local nursing home or soup
kitchen.
Ask your kids what they would like to do. Crafts, baking,
ice skating, stories around the fireplace, seeing friends are the things
that memories are made of. Family traditions are what we recall as
adults – not the gifts we got. Help your kids enjoy the holiday season
by creating wonderful, stress-free memories that they will carry with
them for a lifetime and pass own to their own children someday.
3. Preserve and Protect Routines
Stick to your normal family routine as much as possible. It's often hard
to take time out of busy holiday preparations, but a walk, a trip to a
playground or play area, or whatever else you usually do with your kids
each day can be a great stress reducer.
Kids are often dragged along on shopping expeditions or taken to events
over which they have no control. And when a routine is broken, stress
can result. If possible, skip unnecessary activities or tag-team as
parents. Have one parent do the shopping or run the errands while the
other stays home to keep things status quo. It can make a big
difference.
4. Eat Healthy and Consciously
Try to plan at least one healthy, homemade meal every day. And don’t let
your guard down with snacks… a nutritious snack can help a child
function much more smoothly through a long afternoon of shopping at the
mall. Limit the fast food during the holidays. Factor in
sugary holiday treats that can cause kids to be hungry and stressed.
5. Monitor and Limit TV and Video Games
De-emphasize television. Much holiday programming seems to be designed
to get children all worked up about the holidays. Try to mute or turn
off the commercials, and be selective about your family's holiday
viewing. Limit the amount of time kids playing video games.
Encourage physical activity and interaction with peers. Children who are
experiencing some stress usually need more physical activity. Encourage
your kids to bundle up and play outside. If you have younger ones, make
time for a walk. The fresh air can work wonders.
6. Use Stress-Reducing Techniques
Instead of telling your child to go “calm down” this holiday season,
give them the tools they need to manage stress and anxiety. If you
see your children beginning to get stressed, try to spend some quiet
time with them before the situation gets out of control. Stop for a
snack, a game or a few minutes of reading before rejoining the holiday
activities.
7. Keep the Mood Light
Hands down laughter is still the number one way to relieve stress at any
age. Laugh it up with your kids and their mood will shift from good to
bad in no time. Laughter is still the best way to beat stress and
change everyone's mood from bad to good. Take time to read the comics to
your children, or find a holiday joke book with family humor at your
bookstore or library.
Parents are the gatekeepers for the level of holiday excitement and
stress that reaches their kids. Their ability to parent with flexibility
and strength, recognizing and responding wisely when they are their kids
feel stressed will help them manage the pressure and tension that can
affect everyone’s enjoyment.
About
the Author:
Paula Statman, M.S.S.W. is an internationally respected educator,
speaker and award-winning author. Her practical, positive approach
to raising safe and strong children has benefited hundreds of thousands
of parents. Paula is a repeat guest on Oprah and the Today Show, has
appeared on over 200 radio and television programs, and is featured in
publications such as Parents, Child, Redbook, and USA Today.com.
The founder and director KidWISE Institute, Paula lives in Oakland,
California with her husband and daughter. For more information visit
www.kidwisecorner.com.
Coupons for Momscape Readers:
Offers valid for a limited time.
Office Depot Coupons: $30 off $150
Target.com Coupons:
Free shipping on select baby gear
Overstock Coupons: $5 off $100
Weight Watchers Coupon: 25% off
Join Momscape today! It's easy and free.
More Top Coupons:
Click this link and the discount shown will be automatically activated.
Moms are Raving About
> Tae Bo Kicks Billy Blanks Workout for Kids
> Collectopia Wacktivity and A Friendship Scraptacular
> Micro Spy Kit X2 Toy
> Bugaboo Chameleon Stroller
> Burt's Bees Baby Bee Skin reme
> Perego Primo Viaggio Infant Car Seat
> Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, by Ina May Gaskins
> Rocket Spanish
> NordicTrack 740 Stepper
> More Product Reviews