Many people look forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas, not only for the delicious meals that are prepared but the togetherness that it brings for families.
Most of us love to come together during this time of year but it can also cause A LOT of stress.
Unfortunately, some need a little help surviving the tantrums and situations that sometimes come along with the holidays.
You may think I am just talking about the children’s tantrums but depending on the family, there may be some adults having tantrums as well.
Read on to find out how to cope:
Holiday Survival Guide: How to Survive the Chaos
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One of the best things about having a survival guide is that you can plan ahead. Have all the details ready including the seating when it’s time to eat, maybe make a seating arrangement just in case. Have guest rooms set up in case you have a guest stay overnight or even a place to let the little one’s nap.
Determine your ground rules before the day of your gathering. This could be topics that could lead to heated discussions, politics or even sports. We all know there are some families who have that sports rivalry. To make things less stressful for you, ask your guests to bring a dish. Some can bring foods, drinks, desserts, and even disposable plates, forks, napkins, cups, knives, spoons, etc. that help you with the cleanup time after everyone has finished eating.
Have plenty of finger foods, fruits and veggies available while the meal is being prepared or everything is being set up. This will help keep the kids and even the adults out from under your feet. If you have children of different ages have plenty of activities for them. Whether it is playing games outside like tag, hide and go seek, football, or inside activities like watching another TV in a quiet room, playing games, or coloring. If there is an older child (tween/teen) to help watch over the little ones is a great idea, so that you can play host and get everything in the kitchen ready.
Every family has people who don’t get along, children who misbehave or something that may go wrong. Try to remember the reason you are gathered and that you had the opportunity to spend time with your family no matter the circumstances and then you can recuperate until the next holiday.
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Christmas is not just about showering your kids with presents and buying ornaments and lights – it’s so much more than that.
Christmas is about values that every parent should teach its children – kindness, gratitude, and generosity.
That might be the reason why it’s celebrated worldwide, regardless of religious beliefs.
However, it’s not always easy to show the true magic of the holiday season to the kids, especially with the omnipresent influence of technology and the hectic lifestyle we have.
But, there are ways to make it magical for your kids and help them create lovely Christmas memories.
How to Make Christmas Magical for the Kids
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Make them believe
If your kids are still young and believe that Santa Claus is real, let them be. Even better, encourage it.
Psychologists claim it’s perfectly healthy because, although Santa Claus is not real, the values he represents are, and that’s why it makes a good lesson for the kids.
Help them hang Christmas stockings around the house and fill them with candy while they’re asleep.
Don’t forget about some cookies and milk for Santa and some carrots for his reindeer. You can even bake the cookies together, serve it on a plate et voilà – you’ve got yourself the perfect excuse to eat cookies in the middle of the night – it’s all part of the Christmas magic.
Get crafty
From ornaments to gift wrapping – all of it can be done yourself and what’s even better – you can include the kids in the process and have multiple benefits. Not only will the kids feel the true Christmas spirit, but they’ll also know the value of work and effort put into making all of that.
Furthermore, you’ll surely save some money as well – paper, scissors, sparkling washi tape, colorful knitting bowls, etc. are way cheaper than the ornaments, cards, and decorations you can buy at the store. Browse Pinterest for ideas and get crafty – it’s the best way to spend some quality time with your kids.
Put some Christmas colors on
There’s no fear of going overboard with glitter and shades of red and green.
After all, it’s the holiday season, so give yourself a break and decorate your house accordingly. Stunning Christmas tree and lights are mandatory but you can take it to another level and try giving your girls Christmas hairstyles or baking seasonal treats shaped like Christmas ornaments.
Also, consider decorating the kids’ room as well – a mini tree and some lights will do just fine to make their mornings festive. Play some Christmas tunes and watch the spirit of the holiday season fill your house floor-to-ceiling.
Less is more
When it comes to presents, less is really more.
Make sure you give your kids something they’ll know how to appreciate. Respect their wishes but make sure it’s practical as well – buy them something they’ll wear, read, and actually use.
If they get too many presents from the rest of the family, tell them about the less fortunate and propose donating their toys, clothes, school supplies, etc.
They can assemble the gifts themselves, wrap them, and write something on the card – it’s a great way to teach your kids to be generous and aware of the outside world.
Make a scrapbook
Scrapbooks are a great way to preserve memories so you can make a Christmas-themed one for your kids.
Take photos of the Christmas activities and encourage the kids to collect tickets from Christmas shows and concerts.
They can rewrite Christmas stories and quotes they like, or even write their own. Use the craft supplies leftovers from making the ornaments and cards and assemble a family scrapbook. All you’ll need is cardboard paper and some twine and the fun may begin.
Once they grow up, kids won’t remember the gifts you bought them but the feeling of closeness and all the fun will stay in their memories forever. Don’t hesitate – make a plan and get ready to give your children the most magical Christmas ever.
About the author: Tracey Clayton is a full-time mom of three girls. She feels she knows a thing or two about raising happy, healthy and confident kids, and offers helpful advice in her parenting articles. Her motto is: “Live the life you love, love the life you live.”
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Halloween is near, so the need for spooky treats has hit my family hard!
We are looking for an opportunity to mix up a bunch of ghoulish goodness to share with friends! If you too want to share something dramatically delicious this Halloween season, you are going to love this recipe for Bloody Cupcakes!
While the name might sound gruesome. You can dig in with a smile knowing they are actually a devilishly fun take on the always popular Red Velvet recipe!
Are you ready for some Halloween fun this year? I get tired of the same old boring Halloween games, so I decided to create a fun game for my readers. Halloween Bingo is super easy and fun for the whole family to play. I think I love this game the most because my entire family can join in, adults and kids alike.
You can print out this Halloween Bingo Printable HERE and enjoy it just as much as we have. Halloween is one of our favorite holidays, so we spend hours doing activities and playing games. Let me know if you print this out and how much you enjoy it. Halloween is just a few short weeks away, so you better start enjoying all of the spooky festivities soon!
Please feel free to use for personal use by printing. If you would like to share this on social media or any other platforms please link back to Life of a Southern Mom.
Can you believe it’s almost March already?! That means St.Patricks Day is almost here. When I was a kid St Patricks Day was one of my favorite holidays. We always did so many fun crafts/activities in school. I remember being in elementary and the leprechaun would come in our classroom while we were gone to recess and make a mess and leave us treats. It was always so much fun to see what he had left us.
I have put together a round up of 10 St Patricks Day Rainbow Crafts for Kids. You and your kiddos are sure to have a blast spending time together making these awesome crafts!
Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be the same without the classics! Every year that I can remember has been sweeter with Brach’s Conversation Hearts. As a child, I would analyze the messages and decide who should get what phrase. As I grew up, I loved to try to spot new messages on my Brach’s hearts.
Now I am a mom and a wife, but Valentine’s Day still has the same sweet traditions with Brach’s. Every year I give my boys a box and sit back with my own classic snack. The boys love to analyze the messages and snicker at them while I reminisce over the conversation heart messages of my past. Brach’s are for more than just sharing in a box! Over the years I have found so many cute and creative ways to incorporate Brach’s Conversation Hearts in my sweet treats for the holiday.
If you are a busy mom like me, you might like a few of my ideas that make use of Conversation Hearts! With Valentine’s Day parties coming up and the kids being older I am searching for the perfect treats to send to school with them this year. That’s when I know I can rely on Brach’s® candy to help me prepare treat bags for the boys’ classmates.
A cup of pudding can become a declaration of love. On busy days in February, I like to sprinkle a few select hearts onto a cup of vanilla pudding for a love note the boys can eat. You know that they say the way to the heart is thru the tummy; this easy snack idea sends the love to the tummy in a sweet way!
Baked goods are pretty sweet as is; but adding a classic like Brach’s conversation hearts adds flavor, color, and sweet sentiments. Baked from scratch, or straight out of a box, adding Brach’s Conversation Hearts adds a sweet sentiment to any baked good!
If you don’t have time to decorate, adding a few conversation hearts to cupcake icing, or even just sprinkling them around your tablescape takes the decorating to a sweet level.
Classic candies like Brach’s Conversation Hearts makes the holiday sweeter, with tradition and a mix of pop culture from the messages printed on them, you can’t go wrong at Valentine’s Day with America’s classic heart candy!
Do you have a tradition of gifting Brach’s Conversation Hearts? I would love to hear more about how they make your Valentine’s Day sweeter.
Disclosure: Southern Carolina Family received the above-mentioned products for free in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
