Tips for Parents During the Holidays
Featuring Dr. Jen Mayo
The holidays are a time for fun, joy, and family. However, stress always seems to make its way in there too. To help keep the fun, and limit the stress, here are some tips:
- During the holidays, it is important to maintain your child’s routine. Keeping your child on his or her routine will help not only during the holidays, but it will also be beneficial when it is time to transition back to school. This means maintaining a bedtime and wake time schedule along with maintaining healthy activities and eating habits.
- Engage in hands-on activities with your children. Allow your children to help you wrap gifts or make dinner or dessert. Use this time to engage in conversation with your children. These are also good tasks to help facilitate executive functioning skills, as they involve planning, organizing, and following multistep directions. While your children are working on these skills, they are also having fun with you!
- During the holidays, if extended family is present, use this to your advantage. Ask them for help with the children or to take them out to an activity. This will free up your time and keep your children busy.
- Sweets and treats are readily available during this time of the year. Remember that moderation is key for both yourself and your children.
- Set aside time for yourself! When parents are relaxed and well rested, children will sense this and respond in a positive way. Treat yourself!
- Enjoy this special time of year with your family. Children grow fast, so embrace the extra time you have to spend with one another.
About Jen Mayo
Jen is a Licensed Psychologist by the State of New Jersey and a Nationally Certified School Psychologist who specializes in working with children and adolescents. Learn more about Jen and her work at Behaved Brain Wellness Center.
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