The holidays are a magical and joyous time but a hectic one, too. Unfortunately, holiday stress and anxiety in children and families can and does happen. 'Tis the season for lots of fun activities and events, and lots of hustle and bustle. While that can be a good and exciting thing, the reality is that it often means schedules are out of whack, bedtimes get pushed back, routines are disrupted, and healthy meals may be replaced with extra sweets and festive treats. As a result, it’s inevitable that kids and their parents may feel some degree of holiday stress.
The old saying "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" certainly applies to holiday woes. Here are 3 steps of preventive care for your family to calm the holiday chaos:
1. Parent Self Care - You’ve heard of putting on your own oxygen mask first so you can be in a position to help others? This applies with holiday success. The more calm and mindful you are, the better you are able to handle stressful events of the season. Getting enough rest, drinking lots of water, exercising, and daily mindfulness activities such as deep breathing are all part of your oxygen mask kit. Children often look to parents to learn how to handle stress and this is a great learning opportunity to lead by example.
2. Environmental Care - This is where your great organizational and attunement skills get to shine; use them to avoid situations that lead to stress. Simple tips are to avoid crowds, loud noises, bright lights, and other zones that you know are triggers for your child. Keeping healthy snacks and bottled water on hand is also helpful. For example, knowing that your child is sensitive to loud noises and lights gives you greater insight that he/she will be set up for greater success if you arrive early for the mall photo line versus waiting until around noon when he/she is hungry and tired.
3. Routine Care - It’s easy to get out of routine during the holidays. Sticking with your child’s established routines such as "book, bath, and then bed" as well as bigger routines such as times for meals, naps, and bedtime will help calm the chaos. If you decide to step away from the routines, ie to attend a holiday event, it’s best to resume them the following day and to make up (or prepare ahead of time) for the disruption with an extra nap or soothing music.
Holiday stress is something many families face each year. Fortunately, most of the stress subsides once the hustle and bustle of the season slows down. Yet, for some children and adults, there may be underlying treatable conditions such as anxiety, depression, or ADHD. Anxiety disorders are the most common, affecting one in eight children. And research shows that untreated anxiety in children increases the risks for academic problems, illness, substance abuse, and depression. Common symptoms of anxiety in children include frequent headaches or stomachache, difficulty sleeping or focusing, restlessness, fidgeting, frequent crying, meltdowns, worry, bouts of intense anger, nail-biting, avoiding regular daily activities or social contact, and clinginess or greater attachment to parent. If you have concerns about your child, seek help promptly.
Is your child exhibiting signs of anxiety? Do you have a question for calming the chaos in your family? Looking for support on how to use your parenting tools to gain greater cooperation? Or simply wanting to know you're on the right path and feel confident in the choices you make? My name is Cindy Austin and I am a therapist and owner of Seeds of Hope Counseling here in Hickory NC. My passion is helping busy families find real-life solutions to real-life issues. Families can find hope and healing In the comfort of my private practice offering flexible office hours, Saturday appointments, and additional options such as Telehealth/Online sessions. I specialize in diagnosis and treatment of behaviors such as meltdowns, shyness, school refusal, delayed social skills, anger, sleep issues, and school problems. Don't lose sleep another night... call me today to set up a free 20-minute phone consultation to see how I can help. Most insurance accepted. Call (828) 457-8597, email hello@seedsofhopepllc.com and/or visit my website at seedsofhopepllc.com.
