Family gatherings can be joyful or stressful (or both) for children and grown-ups alike. Packed schedules, social pressures, and tense family dynamics can leave everyone feeling overwhelmed.

It’s important to remember that the holidays don’t have to be perfect – small acts of care can make a big difference. As you prepare for gatherings with friends and family, here are some tips from mental health experts. (You may have seen this helpful information on our Facebook page and other social media accounts. It’s so important, we wanted to share with our weekly email readers too.)

• Talk with your children about reasonable expectations. The holiday hype can often lead to feeling overwhelmed or disappointed so talk with your children about what to expect.
• Keep consistent routines. Maintain regular sleep and meal schedules to provide a sense of stability.
• Encourage open communication. Create safe spaces where your child feels comfortable sharing their feelings, whether they’re excited or overwhelmed.
• Take breaks from busy activities. Allow downtime to recharge with a family movie night or quiet time with a favorite book.
• Tell your children it’s okay to walk away. Children need to know that they can step away from tense or confusing situations.
• Be an example by modeling healthy coping skills. Let your children see you managing stress in healthy ways like deep breathing or taking a walk.
• Create a supportive home environment. This can buffer the impact of external challenges.

This time of year also highlights the importance of caregivers taking care of themselves – now and year-round. “I’ve come to one critical realization: you can’t fully show up for your kids if you’re not taking care of yourself,” wrote Kate Fox, our Behavioral Health Policy Coordinator, in a commentary that ran in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Stress on parents and caregivers directly impacts children’s mental health from birth, and our systems are not doing enough to support these foundational relationships.”

A promising solution is dyadic care, a model that treats children and caregivers together to address stressors and build resilience. In a dyadic care setting, families attend sessions designed to build healthy development, positive behaviors, and strong foundations of trust, reducing challenging behaviors in children by 43% and caregiver stress by 40%. But there are barriers to making this innovative approach available to more families. 

Read Kate’s full commentary here to learn more.

With expanded access to dyadic care, the holidays will be brighter in future years for many children, teens, and caregivers. For this year, we hope these tips will help you build stronger bonds with your children and enjoy stress-free gatherings among your loved ones.

Happy holidays!