As I write this, Halloween was last week and we’re barreling towards Thanksgiving, Christmas and the holiday season. I love it. Some find it stressful. I know how hard it can be to keep the kids safe, entertained but not bouncing off the walls with excitement. It’s quite the balancing act!
Safety First
It’s get to the fun stuff, but first, this time of year it’s a great idea to reevaluate your home for safety hazards for your kids (and don’t forget to pet proof too!)
1. Childproof (and pet proof) Your Home
Many years ago I had a huge Christmas tree in my living room. Unfortunately the cat thought it was his toy and tried to climb it. And, you guessed it, the whole thing tipped over. Fortunately, neither cat nor tree was harmed. But I learned my lesson. From that point on I have always tied the tree to the wall or ceiling, depending on the height of the tree. I simply take some fishing line or a nice strong piece of string and tie it around one of the top branches. Then I tie the other end to a screw in the wall, or on the ceiling. That’s it. It’s worked great and my tree, and cats, are safe! It’s also tricky having candles with kids and/ or cats or dogs. Several years ago I invested in those “fake” candles. I miss the scent but they look great and they’re a lot safer with my critters.
2. Supervision Matters
It can be such a joy (hassle!) having the kids out of school for the holiday season. When they’re really young it’s so tough to get anything done. Whether you’re trying to bake cookies, decorate the house or stuff a turkey, these little helpers often aren’t. The only advice I have is try to get things done when they’re down for a nap, at night or shoo them of to grandmas. You could also consider getting a sitter who can keep them occupied while you take care of every thing else…and I do mean “everything”!
3. Toy Options
When my kids were young, it seemed no matter what good intentions I had, they still ended up with a ridiculous amount of toys. I was vey lucky to have a lot of family around. And they all loved to spoil the kids. But as my kids got older we found that giving experiences was a better option. We took the train to the museum, we went to the zoo, that type of thing. It might help you keep the toy box from exploding!
4. Travel Safety
Traveling for Thanksgiving or Christmas? Yikes! I remember those days. Anyway today with smart phones and tablets there are more ways than ever to keep your kids occupied. I found that my husband didn’t pay much attention a lot of the time. So, I had to really be clear what I needed from him. Not to sound condescending, but it’s true. If I wanted to go to the rest room I made sure I had his undivided attention and let him know he was responsible for keeping an eye on the kids til I got back. Never assume your partner or spouse is paying attention to the kids. Be crystal clear that they know when it’s their turn to be parent #1.
Make the Holidays Fun and Memorable
Now on to the fun stuff:
1. Include Your Kids in Holiday Prep
My kids loved to help me get ready for Thanksgiving. I use the word “help” loosely. They tried! And it was fun. If possible set up a small table or workstation nearby where they can help. Whether it’s wrapping gifts, baking cookies, etc. find them something that they can safely do. They’ll have a blast and you might actually get something done!
2. Create Traditions
We had a tradition that we let the kids open one gift on Christmas eve. No matter what holiday it is, you can create fun traditions from a young age. I was so surprised when my grown son came to me and said how he enjoyed our traditions. He wants to establish them when he has a family. So traditions do matter and when your kids get older they’ll appreciate them. It doesn’t have to be anything fantastic, simple works great too!
3. Plan Kid-Friendly Activities
It’s not hard to make slight adjustments to your holiday activities so they’ll be more fun, and safer, for the younger kids. Simple adjustments can ensure a safer time for your kids and a more relaxing time for you!
4. Teach the Spirit of Giving
Doing good for others can be taught at a very young age. When my kids were around 4 or 5, can’t really remember which!, we’d go to a store and they would each pick out one toy that they really liked, and then we donated it. I told them what we doing before we got to the store so it wasn’t a bait and switch. I explained that not all kids have a lot of toys and even Santa can only do so much. So if they picked out a toy they loved chances were good another little kid would love it too! My kids really enjoyed it. They didn’t get whiny or pout that they had to give away “their” toy. It was a great experience all the way around. So you can start the spirit of giving even with really young kids.
5. Manage Expectations
Depending on the age of the kids and their belief in Santa Claus, you can find ways to let your kids know that you don’t have a bottomless gift bag. Even young kids can understand that they aren’t going to get everything they want. We told our kids that Santa brings some of their gifts but that we and their Grandmas and Aunts, etc. also give them gifts. From a very early age we limited the number of gifts they got from us. Usually one bigger more expensive gift that they really wanted and then a few smaller, less expensive gifts. That’s what they got from us and that’s what they expected even as they got older, there wasn’t any expectation from them of getting everything they asked for. And you know what? On Christmas morning they couldn’t have been happier. They weren’t concerned about how many gifts they got as long as we managed to get that one gift that they really wanted they were happy!
6. Create a Calm Corner
Between the sugar of baked goods, spending time with other kids and the excitement of wondering what Santa will bring, kids can really get out of control during the holiday season. Creating a safe, quiet location where they can calm down can be a lifesaver for parents trying to put together a holiday meal. Find a room, or even a corner, and set up some coloring books and crayons (if you’re really brave you can put out paints) maybe a tablet or tv with a movie. It doesn’t matter just something that will help them calm down a bit and still keep them entertained and safe.
7. Respect Their Routines
It can be tough to get the kids in bed on time during the holidays. Between school plays, shopping, baking and visiting family, their routine can take a beating. As much as possible, try to maintain their routine during the holidays. But, don’t stress the occasional missed bedtime. It’s bound to happen and if you stress they’ll pick up on that stress which will just get them wound up too. Routine is important but so is a little flexibility.
8. Capture the Moments
Since most of us carry a camera, on our phone, literally in our back pocket, catching those priceless moments is easier than ever. I find the trick is not getting a lot of pictures and videos but what to do with the once I’ve taken them. I recently bought a good old fashioned photo album and I want to start printing out some of the better pictures and putting them in the photo album. When they were younger, my kids always enjoyed looking at pictures of themselves and their friends and family. We could spend hours looking at movies and old pictures. I’m trying to get back in that habit!
Enjoy the Magic of the Season
I love it all: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Eve. I learned a long time ago that there is no such thing as perfect and if I wanted to get the most out of the holiday season with my kids and family, I needed to work smarter and not harder. If I didn’t have time to bake 5 dozens cookies, I wouldn’t bake 5 dozen cookies. Yes, it is that simple. Prioritize the activities that mean the most to your and your family. If you have time for more than those top priorities, great. If not, don’t worry about it. Getting frazzled with too many “obligations” is a surefire way to stress out everyone and not enjoy the holiday season as much as you could.
Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!