The following post is provided courtesy of The Family Place Parent Child Center and was written by Brenda S. Metzler
It's a busy time of year for many families! Whether or not you observe a specific holiday or holy days, December is filled with parties and concerts, festivals, rituals and traditions. So many special events can be very exciting AND very stressful--especially for children.
Here are some simple effective ways to keep this season relaxing and satisfying for you and your family.
- Get adequate rest! for adults and children
- Stick to regular routines! as much as possible--bed time, meal time and nap times
- Be flexible! Allow for extra naps for the youngest, downtime for the older children, quiet time for YOU
- Say "no"! to just one event--it may have been the one that tipped the balance
- Get outside! Go for a walk, take a hike, play in the snow--build a snow person, make snow angels, make tracks in the snow, play snow tag
- Read together! Go to the library, read winter books, discover Snowflake Bentley, read books about your family's traditions
- Make things together! Fold old paper from your recycle bin to cut snowflakes, create cards from catalogs, make crayon rubbings over cut-outs, stamp your own gift wrap onto paper bags, wrap it up in the funnies
- Play with food! Make hot cocoa together (kids are great with a whisk), drink it together, bake a pie, make cookies that require rolling, cutting, decorating, eating; it might get messy--that's okay
- Remember! It's really all about people and relationships, not about stuff! Happy New Year!
The Family Place Parent Child Center is located in Norwich, VT and provides comprehensive resources and information for parents and children. Their mission is to support the positive growth and development of all parents by offering services that encourage families to build upon their strengths. The Family Place offers home visits, parent support and education, a library encompassing many parenting and child related topics, classes, playgroups, special events and much more. Visit their website for complete details on upcoming classes and information. The Family Place will host a new playgroup for ages 0-5 starting January 13th on Thursday mornings, be sure to check their website for further details very soon.
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