Holiday Events Are Supposed To Be Fun for Parents Too

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Star one oh five point seven West, Michigan's Christmas station.
It's schmitty on your Tuesday. Maybe you are at work
or headed to work right now with maybe just a
couple days to go before a little break, or you
took the whole ding week off because you're hosting, or
you're traveling for Thanksgiving. Listen. I said this because I
came across a post and I love following this woman

(00:21):
on Instagram. She goes by busy toddler. Susie Allison is
her name. She's got like a master's in a bunch
of different things, including child psychology. She is brilliant. She
has such great ideas and I thought this was so
important to bring up. She did a post yesterday and
she said holiday events are supposed to be fun for
parents too, So here are five ways I support my

(00:43):
kids so we all have a better day. And she
says this goes from toddlers to tweens, because if you
are traveling or you're having a bunch of people at
your house, it changes up the routine. And we all know,
based on the age of our kids, that can pack
a punch. So Number one, she says, bring safe foods.
It's not a time to figure out if they like

(01:03):
sage stuffing or only a half a roll is all
they eat. Pre eat pack foods they're going to eat
because a fed child is a happy child, and that
means a happy parent. Number two pack comfort items. She says,
especially if you're traveling or even just going to someone
else's house that they're not super familiar with. Stuffies, a

(01:24):
chapter book, some quiet toys can help your kids feel
grounded during really big energy moments. It can also make
a massive difference in a change in routine, she said.
It goes the same for safe foods. Even if it's
some of those snacks you can be like, hey, here
you go, we're good. Number three on her list, map
the space. I love this one, she said, as soon

(01:46):
as you arrive wherever you're going to be spending your holiday,
take a lap around the party, find the bathroom, point
out where maybe the kids are hanging out and where
the adults are just chilling. It helps kids find their
space and know they can be independent, even if this
is in a new spot. Number four, do regular check ins.
We do not want to wait until we hear the

(02:07):
I'm tired, or the I'm hungry, or the I want
to leave because we all know we are a half
a step away from the full meltdown. Check in regularly,
bring your kids a snack or invite them to take
a break and go to the bathroom, off for a hug,
check in on how they're doing. She said, this refills
their tank before that warning light comes on and you're

(02:28):
dragging a shoeless kid out of a party. I only
know that from personal experience. Number five, leave when everyone's
still happy, She said, this is huge. You can really
tell how long your kid is probably gonna last at
a party. Don't wait until they're like, I'm roady to go.
Do it early. Everybody heads home calm, cool, collected, and

(02:49):
she says this will help with bedtime too. It's a
fabulous list. Like I said, she's got science to back this.
She's fantastic. I'm gonna post it up West Michigan Star
dot com. Consider me your tribe. We're going to get
through this with all of our kids intact and our
sanity mostly at peace. West Michigan Star dot com