Helping Your Child Regulate During The Holidays

Kids with emotional regulation problems or ADHD can find the holidays a very challenging time, as all the routines that provide a sense of order are jumbled in a whirl of activities.

The kids are home from school and restless, their parents are hauling them along to Christmas shopping and holiday gatherings, new sights, sounds and smells draw their attention, and they’re eating lots of heavy meals and sugary treats.

But there are ways to limit the stress that the holidays can place on kids with depression, anxiety, feeding sensory integration disorder or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Anna Kamphausen, occupational therapy assistant at Franciscan Health Crawfordsville, shares valuable tips for making the festive season smoother and more enjoyable for your little ones.

Key Takeaways: Emotional Regulation During The Holidays

• Communicate with your child early about what they can expect during the day or an evening activity.
• Storytelling and books can help bring new ideas to life.
• Keeping sleep routines steady during the holidays can help with emotional regulation.

Communication Helps During The Holidays

Communication is key when it comes to outings. Knowing what will happen can help decrease a child’s anxiety and aid social-emotional regulation, Kamphausen said.

For example, let children know what’s going to be happening ahead of time – how long you’ll be out, who will be with you, what kind of food they can expect, she said.

“Think about the foods we're eating. If you have a picky eater, if there's a lot of different scents and smells,” she explained. “Talk about those things. Notice when your child says, ‘Ooh, that doesn't smell so good. Or What is that smell?’ Explaining what that is is a great way to help.”

For some children, reading and storytelling can help explain new things.

“Through the holiday season, you can look at storybooks,” Kamphausen said. “Reading different stories, taking the time to even explain to your child like, ‘Hey, there's going to be more people around the house. There are more events we're going to.’ Even just preparing your child mentally for, “OK, here's coming next.’ That's a great way to kind of alleviate some of the anxiety or some of the emotional stressors that come up.”

And don’t be afraid to share with your child if you’re feeling stressed, tired or anxious.

Maintain Healthy Habits

Sleep is another important component to maintaining your child’s mood. Kids with emotional regulation problems need good sleep, at least eight to 10 hours a night.

Experts also caution against using screens as a babysitter. Too much TV, video gaming and social media can contribute to depression and rob a child of needed sleep.

“A great way to regulate is encouraging motion and play, letting your kids have some sort of outlet during stressful times,” Kamphausen said. “If you're busy cooking in the kitchen, set them up with a game or something else to do.”

Parents should make sure that their kid continues to take their medication at the same time each day, even though the holidays have disrupted their regular schedule.

And watch out for the usual holiday sugar rush. Serve regular nutritious meals and limit sweets and sugary drinks, especially before bedtime.

"You can also encourage participation in holiday baking,” Kamphausen said. “Often when making food is presented as play, kids will often sniff, lick, and taste as they go without prompting.  It takes some of the pressure off that kids who struggle with picky eating feel around new foods. Modeling eating new foods also goes a long way too."