Parenting is challenging throughout the year but it can be especially challenging during the holiday season. Our kids have holiday break, the weather tends to be cold, wet &/or snowy, we may have to work & so on. We find ourselves struggling with entertaining the kids who may be bore inside to preparing for the holidays or even preparing to host the holidays. It is hard to establish a routine during such a hectic & at times chaotic time of year.
With that being said, I thought it was important to talk about some helpful hints. Try to establish a basic routine even if it is having everyone clean their room, help around the house or even have dinner together. Remember self-care. Just because it is a busy time doesn't mean taking care of yourself isn't important. It is during these potentially stress times that it is important to take care of ourselves. It can be as simple as going for a walk, having a cup of tea or sitting down & relaxing. Create rituals. One of the things my husband & I love to do during the holidays is to decorate our tree & host a tree trimming party. Another favorite ritual is to watch holidays movies. One of my favorite is Love Actually. My husband's is It's A Wonderful Life. There are also good classic ones like How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer & Frosty the Snowman.
I have included some links to some articles with helpful tips. Happy Holidays!
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/parenting-challenges-101/201611/happy-holiday-parenting
https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/parents-holiday.aspx