Well… we have arrived at the beginning of our 2020 Christmas week!
You may find yourselves impacted by the last minute changes to an already different Christmas. We wanted to provide some gentle reminders and tips to hold in mind over this time.
- Really try and keep everything as simple as you can
- Find a way to connect with others and have fun by being creative together! This might need the use of technology such as Video Calling if you can’t be with your family or friends. For example, we did a really brilliant stamping craft session remotely over Zoom – there’s lots of different ideas of things you can do here – just make sure you and the people you connect with over Zoom all have the right materials!;
- Remember to consider both your child’s and your own regulation needs. Pace your day and have regular breaks (you can plan this around the TV schedule and when the good Christmas movies are on!)
- Why not try to build in themed festive parts of the day, based around regulation – like Christmas yoga!
- If you can, get outside, go for a walk – release those good endorphins that might help with the build up of tension and anticipation and excitement!
- If you or your child has sensory processing difficulties, maintain the same principles as you usually would do. Have quiet spaces, and opportunity to use your muscles for proprioception. Be sure to check out our resources for some ideas!
Christmas this year will probably be completely different from normal. If you’re off work or school over the Christmas period, you might want to just take some time to recuperate from the year, and prepare for 2021.
Ultimately, we would encourage you to do whatever feels right for you. Remember, what works for other families may not work for you, and that’s fine – don’t feel pressure to do as others are doing!
We would like to take the opportunity to wish a very Merry Christmas to those who celebrate, and a Happy New Year to everyone.
