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Children Over the Holidays

The Breakdown of Everything Structured

By Samantha ReidPublished 6 years ago 4 min read
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There is something to be said about spending the holidays with family. There is something to be said about visiting distant relatives and watching your children open presents. There is something to be said about time with grandparents and letting your child be a little spoiled because, after all, it is the holidays.

These are all wonderful things, but eventually, the holidays come to a close and you have to return to your usual life and routine. There is nothing routine about the holidays, and for children it can be rather unsettling. And it can be very difficult for parents to get things on track once you get home, finally.

The Routine

The holidays completely disrupt your daily routine. You will be waking up earlier than usual some days, you will be going to bed late other days. Maintaining a sleep schedule with your children can be almost impossible. There will be too much noise, too much family, and too much going on.

So no matter how strict you are in your average life about bedtimes and schedules, the holidays will ruin all of that. You may try to cling to some semblance of a routine, but it will be difficult. Sometimes it is just best to go with the flow on these things. You can recapture structure when you get back to normal life.

Still, it throws things off for your children. They thrive on consistency and routine even if they hate it. It is good for them. It keeps things in order. It gives them something to rely on and depend on.

So the breakdown of simple routines such as when to eat meals and when to go to sleep can be difficult to regain once the holidays are over. Keep at it, be strict about it, and things will be back to normal before you know it.

The Meals

One thing that goes out the window over the holidays is how we eat. This applies to parents and children. There is a breakdown in the quality of food that we all consume.

The main breakdown here is the amount of sweets that get consumed. As adults, we can handle the extra sugar. Children have a very different reaction to the sugar that they consume over the holidays.

As a parent, you can control this consumption to a point. However, when your child is in the supervision of family, you have no control over what they are eating. They will often get spoiled. They get fed things you wouldn't normally feed them at hours you wouldn't normally do so, and as a result, everything gets messed up.

And this change in eating habits will be visible with your children. They may be hyper, they may be whiny, they may not be their usual self in one way or another, and no matter how much you try to discipline and restore order, it will be a losing battle as long as you're on holidays.

When you get back home you can restore order to the chaos. You can monitor their sugar consumption. You can feed them on a schedule. However, the transition back to normal life may be met with some reluctance. Be aware of that and be prepared for the battle back to normalcy. You will win, in time. It just may take a few days.

The Family

Your family will let your children away with anything. They don't know your household rules. They don't know how you talk to or treat your children. They will do what they want, for the most part.

You can argue and micromanage your family for the entire holiday, or you can just accept that people will do what they want. Aunts and uncles, grandparents and cousins—there is no end to who will spoil your children. Whether it's with presents or candy or praise, they will be fawned upon because they are seen so rarely.

You will have to accept that the way your children are treated over the holidays is not how you treat them every day, and this may give your children a bit of a spoiled-brat complex. You may experience more tantrums, whining, and entitled behaviour over the holiday than would be part of your everyday life.

This is to be expected and taken with a grain of salt. Don't let them away with it. Don't indulge it, but be aware that it will happen.

They are just as put out as you are with the holidays, and children handle the stress and excitement of it all differently than adults. Acting out could be a result of the lack of routine, being spoiled, or eating too much of everything.

Simply keep your fingers crossed when all is said and done and hope for a smooth transition back to regular life. Patience will be your friend as this holiday season comes to a close. And remember, you are the parent and you get the final say, and underneath all the holiday drama is the good child you raised. You just need to blow off the glitter and snowflakes first.

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About the Creator

Samantha Reid

I have been a creative writer for over 10 years, an academic for 7 years, and a blogger for 3 years. Writing is my passion and it's what I love.

Follow me on Instagram @samreid2992

Find me on Twitter @SgReid211

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