Happy Holidays from Progressive Youth Connection!
Please keep PYC in mind when giving this holiday season. We depend on our community to keep our mission alive. Here are a few tips to make the best out of your holidays.
Safe Holidays:
- Don’t drink and drive.
-38% of all Christmas-time car accident deaths and 54 % of all New Year's car accident deaths are alcohol-related. - Be mindful of decorations. Many trees, lights and holiday shrubbery can be toxic or a choking hazard.
- Be aware of food allergies, not only for you and your family, but also for visiting guests.
- Know where your children are, what they are doing and who they are with.
- Embrace laughter, joy, and peace. Focus on the positives of the holiday season.
- Minimize stress by making schedules, budgets, and saying no when you have to.
- Spend quality time with your kids. Talk with them. Read books together. Watch your favorite holiday movies or television shows. Share special memories about your own childhood. Engage!
- Head off drama and theatrics by setting clear expectations about spending time with the family, helping out with various tasks, and how you expect your kids to use their free time during the holiday break. Make the consequences clear and follow through. Once you have set these expectations take a step back. Don’t remind or nag. If something is not done then allow the consequence to redirect the behavior. Remember to monitor your own behavior and model to your children how you want them to behave.
- Know the signs of depression. The holidays can often trigger depression for a variety of reasons, from missing a loved one who has passed away to not feeling part of the holiday spirit. If you notice signs of depression, ask your child how they are feeling. Seek help if they are suffering from depressive symptoms. Go to the hospital for a psychiatric evaluation or call 911 if there is any risk of immediate harm.
- Be accessible to your children. Give them the floor to talk and listen without preaching or offering clichés. Help them work toward solutions to their problems without rushing in to “fix things”.
Happy Holidays:
- Embrace traditions
- Start new traditions (and scrap the tired, worn out, or aged out traditions)
- Celebrate your culture.
- Cook together. With supervision and depending on age, kids can do everything from prep work to cookie decoration! It will give you the chance to talk, be creative, and encourage each other. When kids accomplish a cooking task it not only builds confidence it improves self-esteem!
- Let go of the past. Nothing ruins family time like a grudge. Make peace with the past and move on. Grudges are self-punishing and make you feel bad. Focus on these steps to let go of your grudge.
- Rationalize its impact on your life
- Change the course of your relationship. You can preferably restore the relationship by adjusting your attitude. However, if the relationship is detrimental to your mental, emotional, or physical well-being; you may be better off to distance yourself. (www.mayoclinic.com) - Set a budget and stick with it. Don’t be embarrassed by how large or small your budget is. It’s your life, it’s your budget, and it’s your business.
- Give your kids a budget, even if it is a dollar or less! Help them to plan for who they want to give gifts or help out during the holidays. Teach your children that not every gift costs money. Artwork, letters, poems, and raking the leaves are all gifts that are inexpensive or free.
- Get outside! Take your kids on a lights tour! Visit the zoo. Bundle up and enjoy the great outdoors. Pack a thermos with hot chocolate. It tastes so much better when it’s frosty outside.
- Dance! Put on the music, turn it up, and dance with abandon. This is a sure way to teach your children to be light hearted and depending on your dancing, how not to be self conscious!
- Take the time to send your kids a holiday card telling them what makes them special.
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