Making the Most of Your Holiday & Giving to Those in Need
This season is one of my favorite times of the year; the best movies are playing on tv, there’s some meaning behind making certain foods and baked goods. But let’s be honest; it’s been a little stressful this year. So I wanted to take this week to try and remind families that the holidays don’t have to go perfectly. But here are some tips to help deal with expectations that the holiday may bring.
Take some time out for yourself. Restorative time. I know it’s easier said than done, but it’s important to set aside 15 minutes or so for yourself and also for children to have their own time to pick an activity. This can help decrease stress and provide a sense of security. It can be reading a book together, play a game, or working on a project.
Remember: when parents are stressed, children’s stress levels increase as well, so quality alone time for parents is also important.
For holiday times- set reasonable expectations:
Pinpoint your children’s stressors and needs will help structure your expectations during the holidays.
Example: If noise is your child’s stressor, shopping will be difficult, consider earphones or use an app with mindfulness/calming scripts.
You can also give your child some control in an environment where they feel stressed. Maybe offer a list to your child and have them be in charge of marking each item off. This can help with modulating arousal.
Make a list of anyone you wish to recognize this season and think of how you might like to express that (get creative with letters or phone calls) rather than a list of people you need a gift for.
Help children think about others in need – This is the perfect time of year for children to go through their toy boxes to select things they don’t use anymore. Ask your child to choose one or two toys that are still in good condition to donate to a shelter or even buy a new toy for a toy drive. Parents can explain that they will soon be receiving new toys, and it feels good to share toys with children who might not have many.
Creative Ideas for Giving:
Kiva combines microfinance with the internet, allowing you or your child to be a financial investor anywhere in the world. Kiva's mission is to connect people, through lending, for the sake of alleviating poverty and empowers individuals to lend to an entrepreneur across the globe. Your child can chose a project to invest in anywhere in the world. Small investments ($10) can make a significant difference http://www.kiva.org/
Oxfam allows you to purchase a unique and specific gift for a child or family in need. You can buy a child a desk ($25) or a family a goat ($75) – Oxfam has a catalogue you can shop form. www.oxfam.com
Heifer international’s mission is to end hunger and poverty and care for the earth. You can make a gift of livestock to family which, in turn, provides sustainable nutrition and livelihood for their community. www.Heifer.org
A penny is virtually worthless, but in impoverished countries a penny buys a pencil and opens the door to literacy. Greg Mortensen’s Penny’s for Peace program is a very rich way for children to make a huge difference in their small way. www.penniesforpeace.org
References: Using the Science of Sensory Process to Survive The Holidays Presented by Rondalyn V. Whitney, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA