How to survive holidays with small kids!

We are well upon the festive season and it’s always a busy time especially for parents.  A vacay with the family is every parents dream but the pressure can easily sap out the joy that comes with this season.  Make it the best yet with these great tips on coping during the holidays with small kids.

Plan and pen down the major activities or events

Planning ahead for your holidays with your kids will help you prepare better so that by the time the event comes you have less to worry about. Yes spontaneity is fun but when you have small kids it’s usually better to be two steps ahead with planning. We all know how exhausting and draining it is to do things at last minute while you have kids. It ruins your moment to enjoy it as a parent.

Fresh air is a necessity

Having toddlers indoors for a long time has downsides. One of them being, you end up being too overwhelmed in trying to entertain them. Truth is, entertaining these little humans of ours can be a never ending game. So why not take them out to the park or to any nature reserve?

Let them enjoy the freshness of the outside breeze while they play. You in turn will also benefit from being outdoors and being close to nature. Also this will be more relaxing for the kids than taking them to a mall that ‘s full of people and noise because that hustle bustle tends to overstimulate them. So please consider dates with nature during this festive season.

Guide them through meeting new people

Small kids usually feel at ease when they are around people they are familiar with. The festive season comes with more interactions and visits from different people in your life. Some could be long-lost friends, relatives who stay far etc ,so everyone is trying to use this time to reconnect.  This is nice but can be too much for a two year old who is used to fewer and familiar faces.

It’s your duty as a parent to guide your little one into meeting those unfamiliar faces. If possible ,you can prepare your kids beforehand by telling them that uncle X or aunty B will be coming to visit. This will help ease the uneasiness on the kid’s side and it might help them warm up easily to the idea of having people around in their space.

Stick to their routine

It’s easy to find yourself carried away with the festivities and end up neglecting your family routine. Kids behave better when they know and follow a routine. For example if your child naps at 12pm daily and you disrupt that, you will have to deal with a grumpy child with loads of tantrums. Imagine dealing with that in a place full of people ,nightmare right??? So even if let’s say you are visiting a friend when it’s nap time for your child,  ask for a quiet space where your child can rest. It will allow you to have a more relaxed visit.

Take advantage of your “village “

The saying that goes “it takes a village to raise a child ” is one that should be taken seriously by parents with small kids because this parenting journey can get pretty lonely and tough. Given that you had probably had a rough year, it’s wise to ask your village to help you out. Especially during this time when everyone is around and free. Ask your mom to take the kids for a weekend, ask a friend to babysit your babies while you are out on a date. You also need time to rejuvenate your body and soul so take advantage of the availability of your village.

These are some of the many tips that can help you get through the holidays with small kids with a breeze while rocking this parenting thing.

Happy holidays.