728x90
my iParenting
From Our Sponsors
e-newsletters
Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters

new terms of use
new privacy policy
award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Home › Articles › Holiday: Winter › Toddling Through the Holidays

Toddling Through the Holidays

Making Time for Toddlers While Finding Peace on Earth

By Mark Stackpole

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

Want to take the focus off of an ever-expanding Wish List meant for Santa's eyes only? Zurn recommends making a "Grateful List" to take its place. Rather than writing down the things that your youngster wants for himself, help him make a list of things that he already has and is grateful for. Doing one along with your children will help them understand your point, and may help you get back to those all-important, often-overlooked elements of the holidays.

Everyone wants to be in a position to enjoy the holiday season, but there are a great many distractions that can complicate our pursuit of even the simplest pleasures. For parents with young children, the challenge can be even more daunting. There is so much joy and wonderment to share with the little ones, but they also need protection from the hustle, bustle and over-stimulation that are inherent in this time of year.

"Few adults will care past January what you did or did not do in the name of holiday spirit," Dr. Curtis says. "Toddlers will take pleasure in being with you despite what your list of traditions entails. Your toddler will remember the joy in future smiles. You will remember the joy as part of many thoughts to come."

Tips for Your Sanity's Sake

Looking for some more sanity-based suggestions for getting the most out of the holidays with your toddler? Dr. Robin Goodman, from New York, N.Y., is a licensed clinical psychologist and art therapist, and she has some tips to help parents meet this rewarding challenge:

  • Think normalcy. Keep to some routines and structures that are familiar. It's not boring for kids to have predictability; it's comforting.
  • Limit your own activities. Be realistic about what you can do and be especially aware of how your stress becomes your children's stress.
  • Join forces. If your little ones have playmates, think about sharing holiday responsibilities and duties with friends. Take turns babysitting for each other so different moms can get alone time to get lots of errands done. In addition, all meet up for other tasks – have a play date, a cookie swap or a wrapping party.
  • Learn to say no and mean it to obligations that are over the top.


Pages:  1  2  3  4  

Want to see more?

Comments

There are no comments for this article yet.Be the first to add a comment.

Post As:
Enter your comment below:
Title
Comment Text
CAPTCHA
Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection.