Stress Less Holiday for Children

Great. Don't you just love Christmas time with all the hectic little chores and children underfoot? Stress? Who's got stress when the relatives seize your home, the bathroom never seems to be free when you need to use it, and you can't find your dishes anymore after a helpful relative has put them away? And, how about your children, or your nieces, nephews, grandchildren and neighbours kids who happen to visit?

If you can't visit that secluded, warm water island, what can you do to relieve the stress sometimes associated with one of the most hectic times of the year?

Well, I 'm not going to tell you what options there are for all your adult visitors, just a few tips for reducing stressful times for children.

- Take the children to an afternoon matinee where they can enjoy the fun and excitement of chewing gum, drinking pop, and eating all that buttery popcorn. And, while their enthralled in the movie, you can catch forty winks.

- Venture out in the local park for a nice brisk walk, or a snowball fight (assuming you have snow, of course). You can walk til they drop, and who knows, you might just find yourself invigorated to launch into that supper preparation when you get home.

- Get out your old box of Lego you've been stashing away just for this occasion. There's nothing better than sitting for hours crossed legged on the floor and building that dream castle you've always wanted to design.

- Tell a story. You must have a story that you can embellish for the next few hours. Keep talking til they all fall asleep, then you can sneak out to the kitchen for a nice, hot cup of tea.

- Remember that train set, the one in the far corner of the basement that everyone refuses to use. Well, here's the time to revive the vitality of that smell of electric motors as its wheels scratch along those rusted tracks. If you use it long enough, the tracks may start to develop a nice sheen.

Sure, you can do some of those things mentioned, but, in reality children really need some fun tasks, games, or projects that can not only entertain them, but, more importantly, help them develop memories of a great Christmas.

Children are a major fun part of Christmas, and when they're grown and gone, it never is the same.

Fond memories of Christmas's past are a beautiful memory you can leave with your children, or grandchildren. With everyone seemingly living in a fast paced environment today, Christmas may be one of the only times when you can give a gift that only you can give - the gift of priceless memories of fun, camaraderie, hugs, laughter, and love.

Holiday de-stressing is all about enjoying the time now for it never can be relived.

Road to Relaxation