Surviving The Holiday School Break

Holidays are the most beautiful time of the year. Except when they’re not. For parents of young children, the holidays can be especially challenging, especially with children who are out of school, struggling with high blood sugar, late bedtimes and lack of routine.

“It’s just crazy. It’s everyone’s voices and everyone’s thoughts and there’s so much joy, but it can be a little too much, you know?” says Meg Wallace, a mother of 7 who lives in San Antonio, Texas.

While many parents may feel pressure to maximize the holiday break and provide “holiday magic” for their family and friends, family therapist, Tom Kersting, suggests not to overdo it.

“We have to remember to try to maintain a semblance of routine for our children during the holiday season,” says Kersting.

But over-reliance on entertaining children with electronic devices can have a downfall. Excessive screen time can contribute to obesity, sleep disorders and eye strain, according to the Mayo Clinic.

“Today’s children hardly know how to be bored because they are always stimulated by some kind of device,” says Kersting.

To avoid “Christmas jitters” or hearing the words “I’m bored” during the holidays, Wallace suggests involving children in planning activities.

“We have this dream list where everyone writes down, I want to go ice skating, I want to make hot chocolate,” Wallace says.

Instead of setting guidelines for specific time limits on digital media use, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated its media use recommendations in 2016 to recommend considering the quality of digital media interactions, not just quantity or amount of time.

“I love a good movie night with our kids and popcorn. I love all of it. But the kids get really irritable. I see them just change. Their personalities change when they’re on screen too much,” says Wallace.

Anger management during the holidays can also be especially challenging because parents may be having fun.

“I think it’s important as mothers to remember that anger … is always a byproduct of something else, some other need that’s not being met,” Wallace says.

To keep everything in perspective, Kersting advises his patients to practice an attitude of gratitude.

“So instead of looking at it as, I have to survive this. Look at it as a breath of fresh air, . . . Because this is a beautiful thing,” Kersting says.

Experts also suggest that parents take care of themselves during the holidays.

“The part where moms can make mistakes, where we want it to be perfect. We want everyone to be happy … it’s not about that perfection,” says Wallace. “It’s really about connecting with the ones you love.”