Using Mindfulness To Help Navigate Your Child's Holiday Behaviors
Author: Ashlyn Rost, LPC
The holidays are right around the corner, and so are the possibility of our kids’ missed naps. While the holidays hold many different meanings for people, one thing that can be difficult to navigate throughout the season is the challenging change of children’s schedules. It can be stressful how it impacts not only the kids, but you too. You might find yourself dreading going to Aunt Em’s house next weekend, and noticing your symptoms of anxiety are a lot higher. The anticipatory anxious thoughts can come in quickly, and the “How are we going to function if they don’t (insert ANY behavior that could be stressful during an outing here- sleep, eat, etc)” might enter your mind frequently. Fortunately, it is survivable, and there are some techniques that might be helpful to get through those hard moments.
First and foremost, mindfulness can be a really helpful tool during moments you feel anxiety rising. Mindfulness allows us the space to notice what’s around us without judgment. It’s reconnecting with the present moment, and getting in tune with your body, and its surroundings. One mindfulness exercise that can be practiced anywhere is the 54321. You use all 5 senses- see, smell, taste, touch, and hearing, and identify 5 things using one sense, 4 things using another and so on until you get to 1.
This can even be something done with your child to help them ground too. An alternative idea to make it into a game with your kids, you could also do an “A-B-C room” where they use the alphabet to identify what’s around them. A quote I once saw summarized it wonderfully, “An escalated parent cannot de-escalate an escalated child.” Starting with de-escalating yourself as you feel the racing thoughts and physical symptoms of anxiety increase, allows a calmer space to then connect with your child to understand and meet their needs.
Second, using acceptance, and increasing your ability to tolerate a hard situation. It’s understandable that a kid off of their routine might act differently. If they are getting to see family they don’t often see, or getting to do a holiday activity, they might be really (insert any emotion here that your kid may be feeling about that), and that’s ok. Having a level of acceptance that it’s ok if things look different today can improve how you navigate high emotions. Combining being more present focused with acceptance strategies can be a great place to start while navigating a lot of change this season.
Happy Holidays, Everyone!
