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Mom
& Dad's Holiday Survival Guide
By Ron Huxley
1.
Take physical safety precautions:
Young children are at-risk of eating poisonous holiday plants (mistletoe,
poinsettias, and holly berries). Keep your local poison center's
number near the phone. Small table decorations and ornaments can
be harmful if swallowed. Try to keep small objects, including hard
candies and nuts, out of reach. If a child eats too much, read the
medication label before treating upset stomachs. Fire proof your
home. Natural and artificial trees can catch fire and while roaring
fireplaces may look festive they can be dangerous if proper safety
measures are not in place.
2.
Take mental safety precautions:
Your sanity is as important as your family's physical safety. Expect
some amount of stress and plan ahead as much as possible to keep
it to a minimum. Organize your shopping list and spread your shopping
activities out over a few weeks. Have the holiday dinner at someone
else's house if having it at yours is too much stress. See the tips
listed below for more ways to have a sane season.
3.
Involve your children in the preparation of the festivities:
Have your children help you with the all of the various aspect of
preparing for the holidays. Brainstorm menu items from a stack of
holiday recipes. Make holiday decorations together from ideas gathered
in family magazines or special holiday craft books. Some craft ideas
make excellent gift ideas. Start a holiday memory box. Save all
of the cards, bits of wrapping paper, special pictures, and other
odd assortments to review later in the year. Get excited about looking
in the mailbox for Christmas cards and let the children help decide
the best location for them. Make up a list of people to send your
holiday greeting. If your really ambitious make them up by hand.
4.
Create special traditions and rituals:
Traditions and rituals are patterns of behaviors that have symbolic
or spiritual meaning. They build firm foundations and reduce children's
holiday hyperactivity by creating a sense of family identity. Dinner
menus, religious observances, advent calendars, gift wrapping parties,
ornament collecting, sing-a-longs and special holiday stories are
just a few ways that parents can develop more intimate relationships
with their children.
5.
Reduce your expectations:
If you expect to have no problems, perfect children, or accident
proof holidays you will be in for a major disappointment. Remember
that children are often over-stimulated by the sights, sounds, and
incredible number of television commercials about the holidays.
Think positively, optimistically, and rationally.
6.
Seek social support for the holiday blues:
Depression or a case of the "blahs" is a common problem for people
during the winter months. This is especially true for families who
have experienced a separation or death of a loved one. The holidays
remind us of family and friends and may beget a feeling of sadness.
Children of divorce may suffer as a result of having to divide the
holidays between mom's house and dad's house. Watch for signs of
stress in children, such as headaches, restlessness, and sudden
angry outbursts. To help deal with the winter blues, seek out positive
social support. Volunteer to help others in even worst situations
than you. Put aside custody battles and work together for the sake
of the children not the other parent. Or if necessary, seek out
professional counseling.
7.
Give yourself a gift:
The greatest gift you can give yourself is the gift of taking care
of yourself. You have to take care of yourself before you can start
taking care of everyone else. Delegate some of the shopping and
preparations to other family members and take frequent breaks to
regain lost energy. Do something for someone else that doesn't involve
writing a check. It's amazing how doing a selfless act can renew
your inner strength. Call a few nonprofit organizations in the phone
book to see how you can help. Valuing yourself and help others less
fortunate is also a good model for your children of what the holidays
are really about!
Ron
Huxley is a Licensed Marriage, Family & Child Counselor and owner
of ParentingToolbox.com
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