Holidays are the most wonderful time of the year. Except it isn't. The holidays can be especially difficult for parents of young children, especially if their children are out of school, battling high sugar levels, having later bedtimes, and missing routines.
“It's really crazy, everyone's voice, everyone's ideas, and it's so much fun, but it can be a little difficult, you know?” said Meg Wallace, a mother of seven who lives in San Antonio, Texas. I say.
Many parents may feel pressured to make the most of the holidays and make “vacation magic” happen with family and friends, but family therapist Tom Kersting says it's impossible not to. We recommend that you do not do so.
“During the holiday season, we need to remember to try to maintain some semblance of routine for our children,” Kersting says.
However, over-reliance on using electronic devices to entertain children can have negative effects. According to the Mayo Clinic, excessive screen time can lead to obesity, sleep problems, and eye strain.
“Kids these days hardly know how to get bored because they're always stimulated by some device or another,” Kersting says.
To avoid feeling the “Christmas blues” or hearing the words “I'm bored” during the holidays, Wallace suggests including kids in your activity plans.
“I have a kind of dream list where I write things like I want to go ice skating with everyone, or I want to make hot chocolate,” Wallace says.
Rather than setting guidelines for specific time limits for digital media use, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated its recommendations for media use in 2016, noting just the amount and duration, but also the It was recommended to consider the quality of
“I love having popcorn and a fun movie night with my kids. I love it all. But the kids get really annoyed. I can see them changing. They're on the screen too much. And their personality changes,” Wallace says.
Controlling anger during the holidays can be especially difficult because parents can get too caught up in the entertainment.
“As a mother, I think it's important to remember that anger is always a byproduct of something, a byproduct of something that doesn't need to be met,” Wallace says.
To keep everything in perspective, Kersting advises patients to practice an attitude of gratitude.
“So instead of thinking, 'I had to survive this,' look at this as a breath of fresh air, because this is great,” Kersting says.
Experts also recommend that parents practice self-care during the holidays.
“That's the part where mothers can get it wrong, but we want it to be perfect. We want everyone to be happy… it's not about perfection. ” says Wallace. “It's really about connecting with the people you love.”
