Raising a child with special needs can be challenging, but around the Christmas season it grows increasingly difficult.
Bright lights. Hectic schedules. Disruptive routines. Any of these changes alone is enough to produce chaos, and when you add raising a child with special needs into the mix, it takes the Christmas craziness to a whole new level.
But the Christmas season doesn’t have to be stressful. In fact, you can make this season one to remember by implementing these 4 tips.
1. Reduce Sensory Overload:
- If your child struggles with large crowds and sensory overload, don’t take them to the mall!
- The sound of people, the bright lights, and the loud noises might just push them over the edge.
- If you must take your child to the store, try taking them during a slow time.
- Consider purchasing noise-canceling headphones or bring music along for them to play while in the stores.
- If you’re shopping and your child begins to get upset, try taking them to a quiet area to relax. Whether it’s an empty hallway or a less populated area of the store.
- And if you must leave, you must leave. Don’t feel guilty about taking your child home if they are upset.
2. Be Selective:
- While you may have the urge to participate in every holiday party, you must pick and choose.
- Dragging your child around from event to event will most likely cause exhaustion.
- Save their energy for the events you really want them to attend. And make sure to bring a bag of their favorite toys so they have something to play with when they become fidgety.
3. Keep Some Routine:
- The Christmas season throws everyone off their typical routine, but you must keep some consistent rhythm for your child.
- With schools closed for break, and the normal day to day activities disrupted if your child has special needs they will most definitely feel the change.
- While you can’t help some obvious changes such as school closures, you can keep some standard routine such as keeping mealtimes the same and serving their favorite foods.
- The key is to keep things as familiar as possible.
- If your child typically wakes up at 7 am and eats pancakes every morning, then make sure that stays the same.
- If they watch their favorite movie at 3 pm every day, then make sure it’s ready.
- By minimizing disruptions to their schedule, you can help ease in the transition.
4. Have Fun:
- And the most important way to survive Christmas with your child is to have fun!
- Don’t get bogged down with too many details or overwhelmed with trying to make everything perfect.
- You are their mama, and your children love you.
- Even if the house isn’t “perfectly” decorated, or you burned the latest batch of cookies or misplaced the special Christmas plates, none of that stuff is as important as spending time with your child.
- Take this Christmas season and use it as a chance to curl up with your loved ones on the couch and watch your favorite movie.
- Spend an afternoon playing outside in the snow and making snow angels, or go sledding down an old hill.
Raising a child with special needs can be especially challenging around the Christmas season, but if you try these simple tips it is sure to help your child have fun and get into the Christmas spirit.
So relax, and trust yourself! You’ve got it together more than you think.
(h/t Mommy Underground)