It’s that time of year again: the holidays. Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or something else entirely, there’s a lot going on. While we all love to see our family and friends over the holidays, it can sometimes be hard for kids to understand why they have to come to grandma’s house when they’d rather be at home with their parents.
The truth is, holidays can be stressful for parents, but they can also be stressful for kids! The following tips will help make your next holiday season more enjoyable for you and your kids.
1. Be flexible. Holidays are a time for spending time with family, but if there’s a snowstorm or another catastrophe that keeps you from getting together as planned, don’t worry about it. If you need to stay home and snuggle up with your kids on a cold winter day, do it!
2. Make traditions fun. If you have established family traditions that everyone loves, great! If not, consider creating some new ones together this year. You could start with something simple like baking cookies or making homemade cards—and then build from there as the years go by.
3. Make sure everyone has their own special role in the festivities (and take turns!). Everyone likes being appreciated—even if they’re only eight years old! This year make sure each child has an important job to do: decorating the tree? Making gingerbread houses? Decorating cookies? Whatever it is, it’ll give them something to look forward to as well as helping out around the house.
4. Get everyone involved in making Christmas presents for someone else (and help them think of ideas). The best gifts are often those that are handmade, and they always mean more when they come from the heart. This year, try getting your kids involved in making gifts for other people—whether it’s something big like a quilt or pillowcase or something small like a card or button ornament; it’ll be fun to see what they come up with on their own.
5. Have lots of fun activities planned: When it comes down to it, what makes kids happy during holiday parties is playing games and getting together with friends and family members they haven’t seen in a while—not necessarily receiving presents
6. Focus on what matters most: spending time together as a family. It’s easy to get distracted by all the gifts and other holiday traditions when there are so many other things going on, but ultimately what matters most is spending time together as a family. Try setting aside some quiet time where everyone can just relax together!
7. Make sure to take lots of pictures: It’s easy to get swept up in all the fun activities of the holiday season, but don’t forget to take some time out for yourself and your family. Be sure to capture those special moments on camera so that you can look back on them fondly in years to come!