How to Deal With Your Child's Holiday Stress

Holidays are a magical time. Many of us look forward to spending time with family and friends and celebrating the season’s delights. However, for some, the holiday season evokes negative emotions. We think about loved ones we’ve lost at this time of year more than any other, how to finance the presents and experiences we want to give our family, how to ‘make the rounds’ to all the places others expect us to be, how to survive hours in the car with tiny children, and the list goes on.

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Stress and Anxiety During the Holiday Season

According to an American Psychological Association (APA) poll, 8 out of 10 Americans expect stress and anxiety during the holiday season. According to the APA’s Stress in America surveys from 2011 and 2012, money was the major source of stress for up to 75% of Americans. According to the APA, women are more likely than men to report increased stress during the Christmas season, and they are less likely to take time to relax or manage their stress in healthy ways. Causes of holiday stress were listed in all polls as follows:

• Expenses associated with the holiday season
• The difficulties of traveling great distances in a short amount of time
• Too many responsibilities
• Overeating
• Grief caused by the recent death of family members or loved ones who died around the holidays
• Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) triggered by short days and a lack of sunlight
• Wishes of children that cannot be granted

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Do Children Experience Holiday Stress

Children are particularly sensitive to changes in their surroundings. Things change in the environment over the holiday season, and children are frequently exposed to adult caregivers who may be anxious about financial demands, devastated by the absence of loved ones, or overwhelmed by multiple engagements. The way these individuals emotionally respond to stress, whether positive or negative, models emotional expression and management to the youngsters around them. Families’ normal daily routines are often altered over the holidays. Changes in a child’s usual mealtime, meal selections (such as fast food versus home-cooked meals), and sleep can cause major changes in mood and behavior (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
A mental health expert at Rutgers discusses how adults can help children from feeling overwhelmed

Go to source).

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Identifying Stress in Children During the Holidays

Any sudden deviation from the child’s usual conduct requires extra attention and potentially a talk.

If a caregiver sees changes in the child’s sleeping routine, eating habits, mood, or social interactions, they should inquire about the changes and, if necessary, consult with a specialist.

Keep in mind that many youngsters struggle with emotional language and may not be at a developmental level, where they can convey their emotional experiences. In certain cases, children may arrive with physical issues that are unrelated to a medical illness. Children who are stressed are more likely to complain about stomach aches, back pain, or headaches (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
A mental health expert at Rutgers discusses how adults can help children from feeling overwhelmed

Go to source).
They may begin to demonstrate stress-related behaviors such as:

• Tears for no reason or a small purpose
• Nail biting and hair twirling are examples of nervous behaviour
• Headaches and stomach problems are two of the most common physical concerns
• Bedwetting and temper outbursts are examples of regressive behavior
• Absence from school, friends, and family
• A noticeable shift in normal conduct

Top 7 Tips to Reduce Christmas Stress and Anxiety Among Children

Set expectations:

Be honest, practical, and frank about your expectations for holiday presents and activities, especially if money is an issue. Take advantage of this chance to teach your children the value of money and appropriate spending.

Teach the value of family and family traditions:

Family traditions provide youngsters with a sense of comfort and stability. What are your family’s customs? Maybe your family would want to make a holiday calendar or bake cookies together. Encourage children to regard the holidays as a precious opportunity to reconnect with family and friends.

Demonstrate Emotional Expression and Coping:

Caregivers are a child’s first teachers, and they are uniquely placed to teach and encourage them through difficult times. The caregiver can help the child’s emotional vocabulary by labeling their own experiences and supplying terms to the youngster when they are unsure what they are feeling. The caregiver can also normalize the idea that we must all work to preserve wellness by sharing their own needs, such as rest, and allowing the child to participate in coping activities with them, such as going for a walk, listening to music, or journaling. This will also help to reduce the stigma associated with talking about feelings and getting help (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
A mental health expert at Rutgers discusses how adults can help children from feeling overwhelmed

Go to source).

Maintain a routine:

Routines that work for the child and family should be kept since they contribute to a youngster’s sense of mastery and safety. If the current routines are causing undue stress, they can be re-imagined to better meet the family’s current requirements (3^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Could holiday stress be affecting your child’s holiday joy?

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Avoid over-scheduling:

Adults struggle to manage the stress and tiredness that comes with being overbooked, and children are no exception. Caregivers can help exhausted youth by scheduling time for recuperation and creating stricter boundaries around their time by saying ‘no’.

Encourage movement:

Allowing youngsters to overindulge in technology such as television and games might be tempting, especially during the winter months. Maintaining physical activity, on the other hand, is not only beneficial to a child’s physical health, but it is also an effective tool for managing stress and relieving tension in the body.

Choose a family activity that will benefit others:

Select toys for a toy drive. Go through your closet and donate nicely used clothes to a shelter or clothing drive. Donating money to causes is always a good idea, but search for activities in which your children can actively engage, preferably as a family. Try not to think of it as yet another household task. Instead, consider it an opportunity to not just teach kindness, but also to maintain perspective on the holidays - and on what is far more important than gifts or parties (2^✔ ✔Trusted Source
7 ways to prevent holiday stress - for your children

Go to source).

Activities to Reduce Holiday Stress in Children

Babies and toddlers:

Holiday stress is primarily caused by disrupting children’s routines and predictability. Plan activities around sleep and feeding periods. Maintain as typical a bedtime routine as feasible. Look for indicators of stress and exhaustion in your child, such as fussiness, ear pulling, and clinging. When you run errands or travel, bring your child’s favorite blanket or stuffed animal with you. A little piece of home can help to alleviate your child’s Christmas stress.

Children at preschool:

These children are old enough to understand the joy and anticipation that comes with holiday celebrations. They can, however, readily become overstimulated. This results in frustrated tears and a possible reversion to younger behaviors. To avoid hunger-related tantrums, keep lots of healthful snacks on hand when shopping or visiting. During these trying times, be patient. Remember that after the holidays are gone, things will get better.

Older children:

Extracurricular activities throughout the Christmas season can be extremely stressful. Keep an eye out for symptoms of anxiety or overwhelm in your child, such as stomach problems, headaches, exhaustion, and/or nervous habits like nail biting. Make every effort to ensure that your youngster receives enough rest and eats frequently. Allow them to express how they feel and what you can do to make them feel more at ease.

Laughter:

It lowers stress and shifts everyone’s mood from negative to positive. Lighten the mood with amusing movies or nice conversations over hot chocolate. Remember to include the marshmallows!

Find ways to deal with your personal Christmas stress. The less stressed you are during the holidays, the more relaxed your children will be. Plan ahead of time while remaining adaptable. Do not overbook your time or take on obligations you do not want to do. Sit quietly and consider what the holidays truly mean to you, then base your decisions on your core values.

References:

1. A mental health expert at Rutgers discusses how adults can help children from feeling overwhelmed - (https://www.rutgers.edu/news/kids-get-holiday-stress-too)
2. 7 ways to prevent holiday stress - for your children - (https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/7-ways-prevent-holiday-stress-children-2017112812809)
3. Could holiday stress be affecting your child’s holiday joy? - (https://healthblog.uofmhealth.org/childrens-health/could-holiday-stress-be-affecting-your-childs-holiday-joy)

Source-Medindia