How to prepare children for holidays

parenting

Jul 1

how to prepare children for holidays.jpg — After over a year of living slowly and simply, things are opening back up. If you’re starting to venture out into the world again, this article will give you tips for guiding your children, preparing them for holidays and parties.

I don’t know about you, but I’m still adjusting t to things going back to normal. I became used to seeing the same few people, so big parties have made me a bit anxious. The same goes for my children. My toddler, as I’ve written about, is cautious about going to new places; my twins are “pandemic babies” who, until the last few weeks, hadn’t even gone to a children’s party or big event. There isn’t a right or wrong way to navigate this once-in-a-lifetime experience. But, hopefully, these tips will help.

honor their schedule

When making plans, take naps, bedtime, and meals into account. I call this “tantrum prevention.” If I take my children to a party during their nap time, I’m almost asking for a meltdown. Instead, be up front with hosts and tell them you’ll come after nap. This doesn’t mean your children will never take a nap in the car or go to bed a little later, but I find that respecting their usual schedule prevents them from becoming dysregulated and, inevitably, having a meltdown.

Also, respect their meal times. For adults, eating lunch or dinner an hour later isn’t a big deal, but for little ones, it’s upsetting. I don’t rely on other people to provide my kids with food. I travel with a huge cooler of snacks and meals. If the event has food, great, but if not, my family is prepared.

Talk about it

For older children, talk about the event. Before a party, I spend some time explaining what my toddler should expect. Who’ll be there? What are we celebrating? Where is it? How long will we be there? How should he behave?

We also practice. We practice how he should greet people, what he should do in situations where he’s uncomfortable or overwhelmed. We make a plan for who he’ll talk to if he needs a break or has to go to the restroom. Often, we assume children know how to do these things when they need our guidance.

model it for them

We show our children how to act by modeling it for them. When I need a break at a party (which nowadays who doesn’t?) I tell my son that I’m getting a bit overwhelmed. I explain what it feels like to be anxious and what’s making me anxious and what I do about it. This lets kids know that it’s ok to feel that way and what to do about it.

listen to their cues

This is the most difficult part. Listen to them. If your child is hungry, tired, overstimulated, respect that. Find them food, take them to a quiet room, or leave the party. It can be easy to think about all the work it took to get to the event or worry about how you’ll be judged by friends or family. But it is more important for your children to feel listened to and respected by you.

Do you have any other tips for preparing your children for big events like the holidays? DM me and let me know!