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Child behavior: How to Survive the Holidays…

If your child tends to fall apart on holidays, then let’s make this holiday different, OK? Much of your happiness during the holidays with your child, depends on what you do today, starting with your forecast.

Your child NEEDS structure, a predictable order to the day. The holidays are often filled with visitors, parties, and outings that don’t fit neatly into your existing structure. This irregularity makes your child feel anxious, worried, and insecure because he doesn’t know what’s going to happen.

You can easily sooth your child’s fear by forecasting often before and during the holidays. Forecasting is simply explaining to your child the projected events of an irregular day. The secret is to break it in to single idea sentences. Aim for each main event to include something your child finds fun, delicious, or interesting. And pause after each six-second bit of information for your child to reply.

So when you describe to your child, JJ, the projected events of Christmas day, for example, it may sound like this. “Son, Aunt Ellen will be staying in your room over the holidays. She’s driving in today, OK? (Pause.)

She’s staying until the day after Christmas, so that’s 5 days you’ll be sleeping on the living room sofa, alright? (Pause.)

When she first arrives this evening, we’ll carry her bags to your room. Then we’ll have a nice dinner together, chili and cornbread. Sound good so far? (Pause.)

Tomorrow we’ll go visit Grandmother across town. She’s having us in for lunch. I think she said she was making grilled cheese in your honor. Would you like that? (Pause.)

Then tomorrow night we’ll go Christmas caroling with the neighbors. It’s probably going to be cold, OK? And Mrs. Johnson said there will definitely be hot chocolate with marshmallows. You said that’s your favorite, right? (Pause.)

Wednesday is Christmas Eve. That day we’ll be doing a lot of cooking and things to get ready for Christmas. Maybe even some wrapping, OK? (Pause.)

That night you can open one gift that I pick, so you’re probably happy about that, right? (Pause.)

Then we’re go to sleep and dream of Christmas morning when you get your special gift/gifts. Does that sound like a plan? (Pause.)

So do you have any questions, Son?” (Pause.)

Do this each evening and then do a brief run through each morning. You may even want to draw up a quick schedule of the holiday events and post it on the wall.

These simple steps will work wonders in eliminating the typical holiday meltdowns. Now you realize that those were caused by your child’s anxiety over the lack of holiday structure. So start your forecasting now and have the happiest holidays with your child ever.

Many experts will be quick to tell you the challenges of ADHD and ODD, but few offer specific parenting advice, thorough explanations, and practical solutions. If you are ready to start on a constructive journey to help your child, I invite you to use these parenting tips and join an elite group of parents who are on the same path.

If you want to calm your challenging child, I invite you to claim your free child behavior–improving report “7 Simple Ways to Motivate Your Child to Listen To You.” You can download it when you subscribe at http://www.AdhdParentingTips.com

It explains the methods I used to improve my son’s ADHD/ODD behavior by 72% in 3 weeks. The sooner you start this, the easier it is to help your child. You can do this.

From Debra Sale Wendler - Respect Effect Mom and ADHD Parenting Success at http://www.AdhdParentingSuccess.com

Topics: Christmas, child behavior problems, Holidays, autism, Aspergers, oppositional defiant disorder, child behavior, attention deficit disorder, adhd, ODD, parenting advice, add |

Sincerely yours in parenting success,

Debra Sale Wendler

PS. Did you get your free report yet?

Our subscribers are thrilled with their results from these useful tips and techniques. To get your free report, enter your information in the top right corner of this page or visit:
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(866) 982-4440

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