{"id":2543,"date":"2022-02-01T07:49:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-31T20:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onthecoastpublications.com.au\/onthecoastfamilies\/?p=2543"},"modified":"2023-09-09T22:17:46","modified_gmt":"2023-09-09T12:17:46","slug":"holiday-stress-management-family-connection-central-coast-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onthecoastpublications.com.au\/onthecoastfamilies\/holiday-stress-management-family-connection-central-coast-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Overcoming Holiday Stress for Families: Prioritizing Connection Over Chaos"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Nikki Smith<\/strong> \u2013 Maternal child and family nurse practitioner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is anyone else feeling the overwhelm of the year coming to a close?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parties, dinners, graduations, the organisation of trips away, shopping, shopping, shopping. Are your children feeling \u2018off track and stressed out?\u2019 Could it be that they\u2019re reflecting the overwhelm and unsettled energy you\u2019re possibly putting out?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know as a mama I\u2019m having my fair share of \u2018moments\u2019 as the holidays rapidly approach, and I know that my children are vibing off that too. We are all so ready for the holidays to begin whilst also being aware that, \u2018this too shall pass.\u2019 And it does pass, seemingly more and more quickly as the years go by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This time of year, is a wrap up of all that has come in the months before (and it\u2019s been a CRAZY couple of months!) while at the same time often an avalanche of chaos, stress and anxiety around the numerous things that we still need to get done, to attend, to buy, to cook, to clean, item after item that needs to be handled and ticked off our many, many holiday \u2018to do\u2019 lists. This can create tension within homes, anger around finances being stretched, and anxiety around events with young children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As parents our fuses often become short. We start getting snappy, and at times impatient. Our stress becomes our children\u2019s stress and before we know it, we\u2019re yelling and growling mean words, were punishing our children and screaming at the top of our lungs, we may even lose what is left of our self control as our fuses become thinner and frayed. What are we achieving by this stress induced mania? Happy holiday vibes? Beautiful family memories?
Can we repair what\u2019s becoming ruptured as we approach the season of \u2018joy?\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The holidays are exciting and so magical for children. It\u2019s normal for them to get a little over excited now and then, maybe even a bit cranky and tired too, they may need a bit of extra reconnection and downtime to help them reset and get their behaviour back on track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s put ourselves in our children\u2019s shoes for a minute, as an adult would you change your behaviour by harsh interactions such as being yelled at?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adults tend to behave as well as they are treated. So why don\u2019t we expect the same for our children?
Human beings of all ages will tend to operate on this very same principle. We will all behave as well as we are treated. Our response to being treated well is to treat others well in return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As quoted by Dr Elliot Barker, director of the Canadian Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse, puts it beautifully.
\u201cChildren who have their needs met early by loving parents are subjected totally and thoroughly to the most severe form of \u2018discipline\u2019 conceivable: they don\u2019t do what you don\u2019t want them to do because they love you so much!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This holiday season let\u2019s try slowing down a bit to make the time for more rest and reconnection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s go deeper and look at a couple of strategies we can start putting into place:<\/p>\n\n\n\n