The lead-up to Christmas is a whirlwind! All the planning involved in just one day of the year can feel overwhelming. How big is your to-do list? Have you finished your Christmas shopping? The pressure to “have the perfect Christmas” is ever-present as you look at all the marketing around this holiday season.
And then there are the kids.
Is your child more emotional than usual? They might be reacting with bigger emotions over things that do not usually worry them. Or maybe they are surprising you with a lack of manners in situations where they are usually so well-behaved.
You may worry that something is wrong, but perhaps they are just exhausted. As I often remind parents, “Tired is tired.”
The Reality of the "Silly Season"
The end of the year is a big time for kids. At school, they are busy preparing for exciting endings—rehearsals, wind-ups, award nights, and concerts. On the weekends, there are social wind-ups and catchups that throw the usual routines out the window. When they finally end up at home, their adrenaline spent and overstimulated with sugar and pre-Christmas outings, you are probably witnessing those BIG emotional outbursts.
The good news? You already know all of that. The challenge is, what can you do? You are not going to magically get more time.
Top 3 tips to Protect Your Families Calm
Tip 1: Learn to say No.
It is going to be hard to schedule in downtime, so you need to find things you can say “no” to that can wait. You can blame it on the kids: “Sorry, we just need a night at home.” Maybe you can reschedule that outing to the time just after Christmas. Family and friends who are struggling to say no themselves may even appreciate your lead!
Tip 2: Protect and Carve Out Down Time
Start by putting everything in your diary or on your to-do list: pickups, school commitments, work time, exercise, walking the dog, Christmas events, end-of-year school events, etc. Don’t forget a bit of “me” time for yourself, too!
If less-tired kids sounds like something you would like, plan for it. You may not get a whole night, but can you all find a few hours in your busy schedule next week? Where can you put an hour, or even 20 minutes a day, of down time?
I had one mum who didn’t send her child to a week’s class because her daughter needed some rest before an after-hours school event. That’s prioritising rest!
Tip 3: Explore Their Expectations and Snatch 5 Minutes of Slow Down
Overstimulated kids who are pulled from pillar to post are a sure sign it’s the silly season, but how do you provide a balance for them to recharge? It may be impossible to aim for a few hours, so why not snatch five minutes of slow down to break the busy cycle?
Try this when you all walk in the house after a day out or at school—before you put everything away and before you start your next job.
The 5-Minute Reset Routine:
- Walk straight to the family “spot” (table, kitchen bench, games room). Make sure there are no devices.
- Set a timer for 5–20 minutes. (If you have a child with a watch, give them that job!)
- Try one of the following:
- Sit down at the table and talk.
- Read a chapter of a storybook.
- Mini disco – choose some songs and dance.
- Have a family meeting – share great things I did today, what I learnt, what I am grateful for.
If that doesn’t work for your family, where else in your busy family life can you carve out short moments of rest and calm?
Our Present Making Workshops are a great opportunity to give you a moment of “me” time before Christmas. Kids will learn that gratitude is more than saying thank you for presents and make four presents, cards and wrapping for those people they love. We even have you covered if you just need an hour with our Elf Factory all day on 17th of December. Check all our Upcoming workshops out here.
