Christmas is a time when we are all supposed to feel happy isn’t it? But, sadly it can often leave people feeling stressed over excited and grumpy (and that’s just the parents!) So I have a plan to stop the Christmas stress and help keep kids happy over Christmas.

Here are my happiness boosting ideas:

Watch the sugar intake. A limit of sugary sweets is a really smart move over Christmas. Too much sugar gives children that buzz/slump effect and can make them very irritable. Keep a limit on it and you will all be happier.

Regular sized meals…it is so tempting to eat way too much at Christmas but it just leads to us feeling sluggish and depleting our energy. Stick as far as possible to regular sized meals and mealtimes to keep kids energy levels on track and their appetite stable.

Let them know what’s happening – Children like to know what is happening just as much as adults so  perhaps writing up a little timetable of the Christmas festivities and talking it through with them will help them feel secure and prepared.

Don’t cram too much in – we all need time and space to relax between socialising and excitement and kids are no exception so have space in the fun  and your child enjoy it far more.

Manage expectations – do not  encourage your kids to think they will get everything they want for Christmas or they will only end up disappointed – let them know that they will get a couple of things off their list (if it’s reasonable) as Santa/You have only a certain amount of resources for each child.

Maintain bed times – with early rising on Christmas day, staying up for New Year and all sorts of exciting things planned, kids sleep can go out the window. Lack of sleep can lead to tears and challenging behaviour. No one needs that. Try and maintain normal bedtimes as far as possible and stick with sleep routines as much as you can.

Get Outside – Fresh air and exercise always shakes the blues away and refreshes and energises us all. Tempting as it is to stay inside with hot chocolates, new toys, the fire and a movie on it really is important to build fresh air and exercise into your day and get out and about.

When I think back to what made me happy as a child at Christmas I can barely recall any of my gifts. What stands out for me as the happiest times are the traditions, carol singing with my sister, watching the church nativity, playing Christmas games at grandad’s on boxing day, reading the Night Before Christmas on Christmas Eve. These activities were all free and all made me incredibly happy. I like the traditions we had around Christmas more than the gifts.  These are a lovely thing to create in your family and will definitely bring joy.
I hope these happiness boosting tips work for you and your kids this Christmas x

About the Guest Author
Hi I am Becky Goddard-Hill. I blog at Simple Parenting about- simple, positive parenting! I have 2 kids and I am the author of the recently published Create your Own Happy -a book filled with happiness boosting activities for kids. I am a big believer in our power to make life happy and a big believer in Christmas too!