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The Holiday Rush is upon us!! Hope you have done
more shopping than I have (I'm a last minute
Charlie)! Many of us feel like we are doing a
"juggling act", trying to keep all the plates in
the air, as we try to take care our home, and
family, working, making sure the children are able
to participate in all the special events, get the
house ready for the holidays, holiday baking,
holiday shopping, wrapping, and maintain a nightly
schedule?? I don't think so, it is beyond
anyone's wildest expectations!! By now the kids are
just about "off the walls". They are so wound up
with the "Holiday Hype", they can hardly sit still,
let alone do their homework each night. You begin
to feel like you're a broken record, oops CD,
constantly repeating the same information over and
over again. And is anyone out there really
listening? Probably not!! So, don't be so
hard on yourself. When you begin to 'stress
yourself out" with all these demands, it is your
child who is the first one to pick up on it
and use your frustration to his/her advantage. They
are not deliberately using this tactic, it is just
a normal response to any type of confusion for
children. Once they are aware that their parents
are feeling stressed and anxious, they also become
anxious and react. This confusion places more
demands on the parents. So take a deep breath and
relax!! No matter how hectic the holidays are
they eventually arrive. You wonder how
everything was accomplished but it gets done.
Helpful Hints for Parents:
. Structure, structure, consistency, consistency
in routines will make these hectic days work for
you and your child.
. Have your child draw or do journal writing -
it is a great way to express feelings and release
energy.
. Take time to problem solve difficulties with
your child, ask him/her to tell you what they were
thinking of when the problem began - you may gain
better insight as to how your child actually was
thinking or viewing a situation. Most of the time
it may be altogether different than you perceived
it.
. Have your child draw out the difficulty
that happened and then draw a better way to solve
the problem.
. Have your child write out the problem, what
their behavior in the problem looked like, and the
consequence that resulted. Then have them write out
five different ways to solve the problem
peaceably.
. Writing/drawing is an excellent way to calm
children when their anger level is elevated, it
allows them time to regain their composure.
. Don't forget to thank your child when they are
helpful and cooperative, sometimes we take those
skills for granted.
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