3 Parenting Strategies You Should Try This Christmas

As the holidays draw close, children couldn’t be more excited. They’re just a few days away from unwrapping their Christmas presents!

As a parent, Christmas can be a slightly stressful time. If your children are recalcitrant, argumentative, or oppositional, the joy of the holidays may be taken away. As you manage these growing pains, you may struggle to keep Christmas cheer intact and help your family enjoy a healthy, happy, and wholesome holiday.

In this blog, we’ll offer a closer look at three parenting strategies you should employ this holiday season. We’ve kept children’s unique dispositions during the holiday season in mind. We’ve also considered parental boundaries to ensure that you’re not stretched too thin as you put these strategies into practice.

Let’s get started.

1. Make Use of the “Christmas Rewards and Sanctions” System

Parents have been using this strategy for decades, and it’s easy to see why. This process is simple, straightforward, and—most importantly—effective. If your children are prone to throwing tantrums, you’ll have to pull back a little. We understand that Christmas may seem like the perfect time to shower them with extra TLC. And you should! But double down on accountability as well.

Remind your children that they’ll be rewarded for being good and disciplined for acting out, not just during the holidays but during the rest of the year as well. Ensure that the sanctions are mild: no video games for a week, no treats after dinner, time-outs, etc. However, enforce the sanctions promptly and strictly. You shouldn’t break your own rules halfway through.

2. Communicate Effectively and Empathetically

Many parents underestimate the value of good ol’ communication. Granted, this doesn’t work with many children. However, as your children become older, they’ll become more disciplined if you communicate with them effectively, empathetically, and respectfully.

Explain to them why and how their behavior/actions affect you. This is especially important if they misbehave frequently.

Use activities to help them understand that words and actions have consequences, especially during the holiday season, as “bad behavior” can affect the type of presents they receive.

3. Attending Parenting Sessions

Sometimes, things just don’t go right no matter how hard you try. It’s possible that your children aren’t willing to budge at all. It’s also possible that you’re feeling burned out to the point that you can’t keep trying.

In such cases, we strongly recommend consulting a parenting therapist. As they understand your dynamic with your kids, they’ll help you take the proper measures and establish a healthy, happy, and wholesome familial environment.

Are you looking to strengthen your relationship with your children? At KB Psychotherapy, we provide parenting services across Lake Geneva, WI. Schedule a session today to get started.

We also offer a range of other mental health services, including trauma counseling, depression therapy, anxiety counseling, ADHD counseling, phobia treatment, family counseling, individual counseling, and couples counseling.

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