Surviving the Holidays this Year
Are you wondering how you are going to handle the holiday season this year? Often the next holidays that are coming up are spent with bigger groups of people and family. This may not be possible for many of us this year. This year has definitely brought new experiences and some new normal for many families. Each family is responding differently and with the experiences that are good for their own situation. Here are several things to keep in mind during this season.
· Keep old traditions as possible and create new ones: Your family may be used to doing things a certain way and some of these may still be possible. I know that my kids are used to getting a live Christmas tree and helping to decorate it each year. This is something we can still do. You may need to also create some new traditions. Are there activities in your area that you feel comfortable doing that you haven’t done before? There are many places this year that are doing socially distant events that you can still enjoy with your family if this how you feel more comfortable.
· Share your feelings and listen to your children’s feelings: This year has brought about many changes for everyone and this has caused different feelings for many. Being honest about how you are feeling with others is helpful as it allows you to express them and it also allows children know that feelings are important and respected in your house. Make sure you are also listening to how your children are feeling as they may have some bigger emotions right now as well. They have been through many changes this year and may be having a hard time processing them. The holidays may also be bringing about more changes that they need to deal with. Allowing them to express these feelings can help them work through them.
Remember that children, even younger ones, can pick up on how adults are feeling so if you are stressed out, they will know this. They may not be able to put this in words, but they do know how they feel. This has been a hard year so it is understandable if you are feeling stressed; it is important to remember to pay attention to how your child is feeling and reacting as well.
This year’s holidays may look a little different and may bring about changes, but this means you just may need to start some new traditions.If you think that yourself or your children are more stressed out than normal, feel free to reach out to me.