Simplifying Christmas for Toddlers
Making the Holidays Memorable for Young Children
Many parents are tempted to go overboard during the holiday season but toddlers get the most joy out of simple things.
The Christmas season is a magical time for toddlers. Young toddlers may not remember previous holidays so the Christmas celebration is like a whole new experience for them. It is tempting to allow yourself to get carried away as you celebrate Christmas with an excited toddler, but it is important to remember that toddlers have very simple expectations and are easily overwhelmed.
Focus on Family Activities
Toddlers enjoy the gift of time more than just about anything. It is important to them to spend quality time with family members doing simple activities. Enjoy the holiday season by taking things slowly and simply enjoy being together as a family. Put up the Christmas tree slowly and let your toddler help put the ornaments on the tree. Make gingerbread play dough for a play experience that will use all of your toddler’s senses. With toddlers, sometimes the simplest activities are the ones that they enjoy the most. Don’t feel pressured to fit in too many activities during the holiday season. Relax and enjoy your toddler during the holidays.
Limit Gift Giving
Gifts are exciting for toddlers but there is such thing as too much of a good thing. Toddlers are big on instant gratification. When they open a gift they want to be able to play with it right away. When toddlers have too many gifts to open they can become frustrated and lose interest. Too many new toys at once can be overwhelming and toddlers will not be able to focus their play. Enjoy the holiday season by keeping things simple and buying a limited number of presents that your toddler will truly enjoy. Take into consideration gifts that your toddler will receive from friends and relatives when you are buying gifts to assure that your toddler will not receive more than he is able to enjoy.
Decorate your Home for the Holidays
Toddlers have a limited sense of time passing. Decorating for the holidays helps them to understand that they have entered a new holiday season. Toddlers enjoy having their home decorated for each holiday. It makes the holiday more exciting and tangible to them. Many memorable family traditions can be built around decorating your home for the holidays.
Lower Your Own Stress Level
Toddlers have an innate ability to sense when the people they love are stressed. If you are feeling stressed through the holiday season due to over scheduling your time, your toddler is going to feel stressed as well. Help you toddler to have a peaceful Christmas by taking the time to take care of yourself.
