It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Lights are twinkling, sugar is glistening, and everything feels a little more magical…and a little more unhinged. Have you noticed your children are cranky, teary and having more meltdowns than usual? Does this sudden shift in holiday cheer have you feeling perplexed? “The Christmas Crazies” are not just your imagination. Research shows that changes in routine, extra sensory stimulation (read all those twinkling lights and holiday music), and adult stress (shopping, wrapping, keeping surprises, holiday parties, family expectations) all impact young children. But don’t worry! With over a week left before Christmas, there is still time to curb the chaos while keeping the joy alive!
Why the Christmas Crazies Happen
Young children thrive on predictability. While Christmas brings with it a lot of fun, it also brings major disruptions to your child’s typical rhythms. Holiday parties, visitors and decorations may mean extra sugar, late nights, and increased sensory input. Consistent routines help regulate your child’s stress responses, but the regular shifts in these routines to accommodate holiday festivities can overload your little one’s nervous system. Consider the ways chaos may be creeping into your holiday plans this season, and feel empowered to make choices that help curb the crazy!
Choose Calm over Chaos
One of the number one stressors for kids during the holidays is experiencing their parents’ stress. Did you know young children are incredibly in-tune to our emotions, and they experience them with us? That means, if you are stressed, they are stressed too. Adults often feel pressure to “do it all,” during the Christmas season. But the best gift we can give our children is Calm.
Chaos is contangious, but so is calm. So, give yourself permission to choose carefully what events you will participate in this year, and which you will leave behind to make sure everyone is feeling regulated. This may look like saying no to a party invitation, leaving an event early to get the kids in bed on time, making fewer purchases, or using store-bought appetizers and desserts or paper plates to take the stress out of hosting a holiday gathering. Taking care of what’s stressing you will actually help bring calm to your kiddo.
Keep the routine (mostly) sacred
You don’t have to cancel all the holiday fun, but anchoring the day or week with familiar routines goes a long way. Keep meal times, rest times and transitions as consistent as possible. If you have to stay out late for one special activity this season, consider what the recovery time will be like. Back to back parties or late nights multiple days in a row are almost always a recipe for meltdowns. Take some time to consider what your individual child needs most to help him or her feel cared for this season. It’s possible your child loves a late night party, but is a grinch the next day. It’s also helpful to remember that while you may be ready to celeberate, your little one may be too pooped to party.
Channel the energy, don’t fight it!
Movement is regulation. When your preschooler is feeling overstimulated by all the Christmas magic, moving their body is actually a way to channel that energy! While it’s tempting to ask them to sit still and be calm, movement is the key to accessing that calm. Here at Wishing Well, we like to get creative with the Christmas Crazies, and you can incorporate these fun activities at home, as well!
- Consider creating a “reindeer games” obstacle course in your basement.
- Play “freeze dance” to Christmas songs in just about any room in the house! Put on your favorite holiday tunes, let the kids wiggle, and when you push pause, they FREEZE until you start the music again.
- Another fun game is the Santa Sack bean bag toss. Let your kids practice tossing bean bags into a bucket, or hitting a target you create on the floor with tape or paper squares.
Teach Emotions Alongside Festivities
Children experience big emotions around the holidays like anticipation, disappointment, and overstimulation. But they often lack the language to express them. The month of December offers an incredible opportunity to teach social-emotional regulation to your children, which is foundational to early childhood development. Look for books that teach children about waiting and patience like, “I’ll Wait, Mr. Panda.” Use visuals like an emotion wheel to help your child develop language around what they are feeling. 
If your child is feeling particularly overstimulated, consider leading them through a simple breathing exercise like “smell the cocoa” where they are prompted to take a deep breath in through their nose and imagine smelling a warm cup of hot chocolate, and “blow out the candle” where you prompt them to blow out their mouth like they are blowing out a candle. You may be surprised how taking just 15-30 seconds can help reset your little one and have them back enjoying all the fun this season has to offer.
Less Chaos, More Magic
Curbing the Christmas Crazies doesn’t mean eliminating joy, it means protecting it! We at Wishing Well are committed to partnering with you to create calm and festive experiences for your children. As we work together to prioritize routines, teach emotional regulation, and create intentional fun, children can experience the holidays as fun instead of overwhelming. And that’s a real gift. The best memories are not made in chaos, but in spaces where children feel safe, understood, and just festive enough. If you’re interested in joining us, book a tour with us today!