Three Ingredients For A Happy Christmas With Your Little Ones

The secret ingredients of a Merry Christmas for you and your little one

Short holidays, like the upcoming winter break, can be a welcome change from routine. But it’s so easy to let Christmas become an over-stimulating experience for the children in your life.

We want to please our little ones, but at the same time we have other family to please, too – grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. It can be quite overwhelming, even for us as adults. So how can we make it less so for the youngest members of the family?

The routines that we establish in daily life are anchors for little ones. It’s easy to drop these during holidays, thinking they’re not that important. But doing some things in the same way each day creates a rhythm on which the child can rely, allowing them to navigate their way through the less reliable or relatable moments. Losing all sense of rhythm to the days can be discombobulating when you’re just starting to learn about the world around you.

The uncertainty caused by change can result in variations in sleep patterns, appetite and in unusual displays of challenging behaviour. It can end up affecting the whole family, causing unnecessary stress and anxiety for all.

While you can’t be certain you’ll avoid this, there are things that you can do. It comes down to working out what the main anchor points are for your child each day. Here are three examples.

1 - Resting

If your child still takes naps, helping them to take that break from the day’s activities, thereby keeping their energy levels up and giving them time to process, will really pay off. If you’re at home, plan your day around nap time, making sure that visitors know you’ll be taking time out to allow your little one to rest. And keep the night-time routines that you've already established. Once the holiday is over, you won't want to start all over again.

When you’re out visiting, try to honour nap times. A walk with a stroller or use of a spare bedroom might work. Most people will understand if you make this a priority.

2 - Mealtimes

I don’t know about you but in my family, Christmas mealtimes get moved all over the place! It may be due to getting up late, or later nights, but the usual mealtimes can be completely out of kilter.

Regular meals with familiar foods are still important at Christmas. Remember, young children's stomachs are still small and their tastes still maturing. You may have had plenty to eat, but don't forget to help your child eat regularly, including those things you know they like.

3 - Nappy Changing

This happens several times a day, every day. These times of togetherness are intimate care moments. Taking time away from the busyness and hubbub to change a nappy in peace could be the highlight of the day. Slow it down.

When this daily routine activity is also given its own rhythm – always undressing left arm, right arm, left leg, right leg, for example – the child knows what to expect and can cooperate, becoming a partner in their care. (And this one is not just for Christmas!)

An added side-effect of this approach is that by the end of this time spent together, you will both be feeling really connected and ready to go back to the busyness or move on to the next activity. Recognising that little ones have this need for rhythm, whatever else is happening around them, can really help you all to enjoy this sometimes hectic time of year.

I hope you've found this useful and that you have a peaceful Christmas time.