Debunking Holiday Excitement: The Neurodiverse Challenge!

The holiday season is approaching, and although many typical families are filled with excitement, I understand from personal experience that. for some of us, this time of the year can be source of stress. Children with a different wiring, often need some additional attention, care, and time. So what to do ? One thing I have found really helps is having a plan in place to make the holiday season go more smoothly. 📆  

Get ready before the kickoff

So, here's a friendly suggestion: Could you spare 15 minutes before the holidays officially kick off? Maybe even this upcoming weekend? It might be a good opportunity to reflect and create a rough plan for the week ahead. Making a rough plan involves considering three key elements: your own needs, your child's needs, and activities you can enjoy together.

Make a plan for yourself

Make sure your take time to recharge even when there is no time. What can you do to carve out some "me time"?

Maybe your place to recharge is through a good book, some exercise, meditation, or just relaxing on a bench doing nothing at all. Or perhaps you enjoy watching your favorite TV shows? Make it real: Choose now what you are going to to do, when, where, how. 

🌼 How will you handle those moments when things get a bit overwhelming and you just need a breather? How will you cope? Will you take a deep breath or simply step out of the room for a moment to regroup? Decide before the crisis happen, it will help you to implement the strategy at the time of the crisis.

Make a plan with and for your child

Have you asked your child what they need and want for the holidays? You would be surprised on how much inspiring your child can be! 

🧒👩‍👧 Then think what fun things can you do together? Maybe consider board games (they're a big hit in my house during the holidays: Forbidden Island a great cooperative game, UNO, Yatzee, Labyrinth, Rummikub,Cluedo, Monopoly, Plain card games), a trip to the woods (if you're in the SE1 area, there are great spot on the Northern line or at the end of the central line), a swim (The Olympic park in London has inflatable sessions and The Castle centre is always open), some baking fun, or perhaps even sending your child to our Family hub Tribes (we're open during half term and here to help with a smile 😊). Make it real: Choose now what you are going to to do, when, where, how.

The key takeaway here is this  

Plan ahead, even 15mn of planning is better than nothing, and you're more likely to have less stress and a better holiday season! 🎁🌈 

Image attribution : By wayhomestudio on Freepik