We all feel those moments of stress threaten to overwhelm us. Whether you are a first-time dad that has been awake for too long and has completely forgotten how to change a nappy or it all becomes too much, it can all come to a head during the Christmas season. When your children grow older and they become excited about Santa’s impending visit, it seems that they can become quite feral throughout the month of December! We have to remember that it’s not just about raising our voice but it’s about making sure that we keep our cool and remember that they are excited. But where can we make sure that the balance is just right?
Pay Close Attention At Least Once A Day
We can find ourselves becoming increasingly scatterbrained in the run-up to Christmas. When your children are excited and you feel you got a million things to do it can be easily overwhelming. You may find yourself trying to do something and your child takes your phone. But you have to remember that if they don’t normally do this, it is very likely for your attention. While it’s going one step too far, if they break your phone you can easily go to a mobile phone repair supplier and get it fixed quickly, but this behaviour might have been prevented if you gave them a bit more attention. If you’ve got a child that is excited and likes to play, give them at least 15 minutes to play a simple game. We have to remember that this won’t just make them happier but it will make sure that we stay connected with them.
Step Away (if You Feel Really Stressed)
We can feel pestered by our children if they are trying to get our attention but if there are too many things going on and we get really stressed, we have to remember that our anxieties come down to them. Our children will feed off our anxiety and they will either feel it as well or they will react against it and become more mischievous. Spending a bit of time with them will give them the reassurance that they need, but if you feel that you are incredibly stressed, take the opportunity to step away for 5 minutes. Go to the toilet, if needs be, take a few deep breaths and regain your composure. We can feel that we should never step away when we are feeling stressed because there are so many different things to do. But we have to remember that when we feel like this it’s going to be worse for our children if we end up feeling angry or raise our voices.
Learning to keep your cool over the Christmas period is not easy. You want to make sure everything is at the very least organised, but also you want to enjoy a drink or two at the end of the day. But in order to make sure that you remain calm, it’s about investing some time in your children, while also guaranteeing that you can keep your stress under control.
