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10 Tips to Alleviate Holiday Stress
by Melissa Ingold
Any mother will tell you that the holidays, though welcome, can
bring a kind of dread. Between shopping, baking for school
parties, decorating your homes and yards, attending and hosting
Christmas dinners and parties, the stress gets piled on.
By the time the calendar flips to the, "Oh so jolly,' month of December,
you've already mentally filled your days with lists of to do's.
But as the countdown dwindles to the final days before Christmas, the
freedom bestowed on your kids for two weeks rushes to the forefront.
As you double check the calendar and count, and re-count the days you
realize, yes it's true, they really do have 10 days off from school.
That carefully established routine is about to be thrown for a loop as
you valiantly try to keep them entertained. Their Christmas gifts
should keep them busy for a couple days, but don't count on them to last
the entire time.
Here are 10 simple things you can do to help alleviate
holiday stress and keep your kids busy.
-
Crafts. Every child is bound to get some sort
of craft for Christmas, whatever it is, stickers, coloring books, or
paint, put it to use. Pick a time during the day and have your
kids sit down for craft time. Plan out the activity the day
before and have everything ready when the time comes. It can
be as simple as pasta necklaces. Place the pasta in a Ziploc
bag with some food coloring and rubbing alcohol, then pour onto a
baking sheet to dry. You can find many craft books in your
library, or go online and do a search.
-
Hold a Puzzle Contest. Have your children
decide what the prizes are going to be. Some ideas are baked
treats, homemade crafts, or doing a chore for the winter. Try
to have enough prizes so that everyone wins something. You can
even invite your children's friends over to join in on the fun.
Whoever gets their puzzle completed the fastest, wins.
-
Play Board Games. Another usual Christmas gift
is board games, so dig out a new one and sit down to play.
You'll be surprised by how quickly the time passes.
-
Outdoor Play. Bundle up your kids and send
them outside to play in the snow. Equip them with a carrot,
large buttons, and an old hat and scarf to decorate a snowman with.
Make a day out of sledding or skating. A lot of arenas offer
free skating for kids during certain hours; a simple phone call to
our local arena can disclose those.
-
Make Mailboxes. Have each child pick a small
box that one of their Christmas gifts came in. Cut an opening
on one end for the mail and provide paint, glitter and stickers for
them to decorate their box with. Write the name of each child
on the side. Then each day have them make mail for each other
to check the next day. Be sure to include special mommy mail,
such as letters, treats, or even invitations to go sledding or
skating.
-
Movie Afternoon. Make fun movie tickets from
construction paper and decorate them with glitter and stickers.
Then write an invitation inviting them to a movie. You can
tell them which movie is being shown and what snacks they will get.
You can also tell them to bring a pillow and blanket. Place
each ticket and invitation into an envelope and put them into their
mailbox for the next day.
-
Show and Tell and Share. Have your children
make invitations to invite their friends over for show and tell.
Have each child select something they received for Christmas to
share with their friends. Then have them pass around the item
to share with each child for a few minutes.
-
Bake Thank-You Gifts. Bake cookies with your
children, and wrap them up with cellophane. Hand them out to
all the family and friends who gave them presents for Christmas as
thank-you gifts.
-
Treasure Hunt. Draw a map that will lead the
kids all over the house on a hunt for treasure. The treasure
can be a treat, like Rice Krispie squares or brownies.
-
Trip to the Library. A simple trip to the
library is sure to be a hit. Check to see what days they are
open and whether or not there are any activities going on. If
there is, plan to go on the same day the activity is taking place so
that they can join in. Once the activity is completed, have
them look for a few books to bring home. Choose a few of your
own and have them sit down at home for a story. Then encourage
them to read their own books aloud to share with the family.
With the kids free from school, it doesn't necessarily mean, "time off"
from learning. By providing your children with imaginative
activities, not only will you keep them busy during the holidays, you
will keep their minds stimulated without them realizing it.
About the Author:
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