Post-Spanking

Family Routines during the Holidays help Cultivate  Peace

Dec 22, 2022, 12:44 PM by Sally Robinson

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Around the world there are many holidays celebrated during the fall-winter season.  Many of their names are familiar to all readers but some are just becoming part of our new global awareness.  Some names are the Yalda festival, Dongzhi, Yule feast, Diwali, Kwanzaa, Las Posadas and, of course, Hanukkah and Christmas.  Basic to all seems to be related to the return of light over darkness or good over evil.  More important these are times for families to gather to celebrate with religious pageantry, singing, food, gifts and family time.  For many families this is the happiest time of the year, it is also a time a great deal of stress.

Many families find their schedules are filled with even more events crowded into their already over scheduled time.  They feel pressure to splurge on gifts and travel.  They feel pressure to take part in all community and family activities even it may be claiming too much of their personal and family energy.  These pressures may be increased as many families are coming out of the pandemic who may have lost love ones due to COVID-19, have not seen family members in years, and have increased anxiety related to rapid and long changes in their school/work environment.  Many mental health challenges deepened during the lockdown.

Healthychildren.org has some current tips on how to manage these hard to handle challenges of preparing for and participating in the winter holiday season.  First and foremost is for the family to give itself permission to rewrite the holiday script, to decide which activities they want to keep and which they would prefer to skip or need to skip.  The pressure to celebrate with everyone in all events can make the holidays feel rushed and chaotic.  They suggest that the family choose the events they can handle and decline the rest without guilt.  Visits and other travel can be rescheduled giving everyone something to look forward to.  Remember video connections.

Sticking to family routines can help everyone cultivate a sense of peace amid the holiday rush.  Make time for exercise, healthy meals, and plenty of sleep (including naps).  Turning off devices or meditation can give the family time to slow down and simply “be”.  Holiday hubbub can make children’s mood swings more intense with lack of sleep, lots of sugary snacks, intense media images of holiday parties and have-to-have gifts.

Families need to recognize that the media can push the idea that parents and families spend thousands of dollars that may not be available in the family budget. Financial stress is not healthy. They suggest that the family set a holiday budget and that they stick to it.  One special gift can mean as much a dozens of shiny packages particularly when the child understands that it is part of the family’s holiday happiness.

Talk to your children about the deeper meaning of their holiday. Ask you children for ideas about how to make the holiday happier and find ways together to do it.  Peace.


Useful suggestions, tips and videos can be found here:  Healthychildren.org
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