With Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s and more all packed into a few months, it’s no surprise that kids get excited for the second half of the year – and a lil’ sad when that period is over.
If you’ve got a kiddo in your family who’s experiencing the post-holiday blues, we’ve got 10 tips that’ll help turn tiny frowns upside down!
1. Validate their feelings and acknowledge their emotions! Although adults tend to refer to post-holiday blues with a bit of silliness, this experience can be quite real for little ones.
2. The holidays are often about family time, so carry over the fun into the new year with family activities! Whether you organize game nights or head out for wintery hikes, spending time together will echo the togetherness of the holidays.
3. As you plan your family activities, try to include things that keep kids active. Grooving to music at home, playing a game of hopscotch, or competing in a family football tournament can surely lift the spirits!
4. We also recommend building traditions in addition to the holiday ones. Maybe breakfast-for-dinner every Thursday night? Or a monthly talent show featuring each family member? The options are endless!
5. To go from sadness to smiles during the post-holiday period, you can also encourage children to send thank-you notes to those who gave them gifts. Not only will it put a positive spin on this time period, but it can also teach kids about kindness.
6. If you want to take kindness a step further, you can also use this time to give back! During the holidays, children are often the ones to receive, so doing something such as donating older toys can show them the importance of giving.
7. Instead of looking back, focus on what’s to come and work on New Year’s resolutions with kids! If you need a lil’ inspiration on how to get started, look no further than our recent blog post.
8. What also helps children get past the post-holiday blues is getting back to a post-holiday routine! The holidays often change a family’s daily rhythm, and falling back into the usual groove can help kids distinguish a festive period from a regular one.
9. But not everything holiday-related needs to disappear! If little ones are clearly struggling with letting go of the holidays, then we suggest keeping some of the magic alive – through decorations! A string of lights here, a sparkly snow globe there…
10. If your child or your entire family simply can’t part with the excitement of the holidays, then spend time planning the next one! There’s no shame in being in advance and over-prepared.
There’s nothing sweeter than a kiddo’s bright smile, so we hope you see less and less frowns in the coming weeks!
You may also like
26
Mar
How to Spark Kids’ Interest in Sports
With Super Bowl right around the corner, we wanted to get your little ones into game mode! There are tons of fun ways to play, but acti...
26
Mar
How to Make a Family Time Capsule
Spending a fair bit of time at home in the past year meant many parents adapted to a new reality – and had the chance to experience a w...
26
Mar
Why Open-Ended Play Is So Important
First things first: what is open-ended play? Open-ended play means that there are no guidelines, no instructions, and no right or wrong...
26
Mar
How to Encourage a Love of Reading
It’s one thing when children read in school or as part of homework, but are there ways to encourage kids ...
26
Mar
How to Help Kids Navigate Change
As kids head back to in-person learning after a year of remote classes, it’s A-okay to feel a lil’ worried about the process. They went...
26
Mar
Tips & Tricks: How to Get Kids Outdoors
Summer weather is coming to a close, and back-to-school routines are already setting in. But don’t fret! The fall season comes with joy...
26
Mar
Improving Communication Skills Through Pretend Play
Pretend play is all about getting creative, dreaming up fun stories, and fusing imagination with playtime. Whether kids are playing sol...
26
Mar
Tips & Tricks for Kid-Friendly Gatherings
‘Tis the season for... gatherings! Whether you’re sorting Halloween treats with little ones and their buddies, going over to a friend’s...
26
Mar
How to Make New Year’s Resolutions for Kids
First things first – Happy New Year!We’re excited to kick off this year with a popular topic that’s on many minds: New Year’s resolutio...
26
Mar
New Year, New Space: Re-Organizing the Play Room
We tend of think of fresh starts when a new year begins, so why not take that thought and apply it to your kiddo’s play space? Re-organ...
26
Mar
How to Help Kids Get Organized
Clean ‘n’ pristine isn’t the way you would usually describe daily life with kids, and that is a-okay! Messiness and disorganization lik...