Once the holiday season kicks in, you can just put up your feet, relax, and free yourself from your usual routines. Well, at least, this is how kids think of the holiday season.

The story is entirely different for most parents, though. During holidays, your work as a parent becomes more difficult. You need to keep kids busy, avoid noisy arguments, and at the same time, you also need to fend for yourself.

However, the holiday season doesn’t have to be a nightmare. After all, this is the perfect chance for the whole family to get right back on track, form strong bonds, and create the right mood for a more positive future.

To save you from the hurdles of the holiday season, here are some parenting ideas you can try.

Set a Routine for the Holiday

Some kids feel more comfortable following their school life’s routines that they feel lost once a new routine for a holiday is implemented. Be patient when dealing with kids like these. Make sure you adjust the routine way before the school days start once again. This way, kids can prepare to go to bed and wake up early.

Don’t Take the Role of an Entertainment Officer

Although your goal is to keep your keeps occupied, you also need to keep in mind that they need some dose of downtime. The chance to unwind and relax has an essential role in good mental health. See to it that your kids can also break free from their usual grind and get bored. Their boredom should serve as a signal for kids to stay occupied instead of you trying to amuse them.

Reduce Screen Time and Increase Green Time

It is no longer a secret that kids today tend to spend most of their time in front of the screens, with less and less time spent outdoors. It is also not a coincidence that the increased use of these digital devices is now accompanied by higher levels of anxiety. The latest studies revealed that time spent outside in the natural environment can refresh, relax, and rejuvenate kids. Science supports what you already know by instinct. During the holiday season, make sure that you and the whole family will have more green time and less screen time.

Schedule a Time for One-on-One

Individual relationships are made stronger with the help of one-on-one interactions. In case your kid is a bit annoying or struggling a little, you can try to increase the amount of time that you spend together these coming holidays. Do something great together with only the two of you.

Enjoy the Festivities

No matter your religious beliefs and individual circumstances might be, the holiday season is the perfect time to bring the whole family and all your friends together. You can create rituals around significant events to help solidify family bonds and form a stronger sense of belonging to the family for the kids. You can just keep the festivities simple. Practice flexibility so you can include everyone. Stay calm, and if possible, try letting the kids help in organizing the festivities.

Topics #amily bonds #holiday season