Managing Holiday Anxiety and Stress in Children

CHILDREN’S STRESS – The holiday season can be very stressful for anyone, especially children. For some children the holidays evoke fear and anxiety. Children with anxiety tend to be hypersensitive to their surroundings. New or unfamiliar situations, settings and people can create more anxiety in children. The holiday season increases the likelihood that children will encounter these stress provoking situations and increase their level of anxiety and stress. Tips for Reducing Stress and Anxiety in Children: • Plan ahead. Talk to your child about what makes them anxious during the holiday season and identify with ways to minimize that anxiety. Teach your child how to initiate a handshake if hugging is unwelcome. Practice ways to say thank you for unwanted gifts or deep-breathing techniques for when you child feels overwhelmed. • Eliminate the unexpected. Tell your child about the family’s holiday plans and who will be attending the gatherings. If your family will have to travel, explain how you will arrive and settle in. • Create a secret signal that you and your child can use to let you know they need your help without alerting others in the room. • Schedule special family time. Try to find time for your family to engage in an enjoyable and stress reducing activity such as play a board game, watch a favorite holiday video, make cookies, or engage in other fun and relaxing activities at home. • Take care of yourself. Your child will pick up on your stress. So try to make sure the entire family eats balanced meals, drinks enough water, exercises, and keeps stressful holiday shopping and other events to a minimum. A.C.T. will provide free resource information for individuals and families to promote effective stress-management during the holiday season. For more information, please contact Dr. Drecun at Dr.Drecun@a4ct.com or (858) 792-3541. You may also visit us online at www.a4ct.com.