Preparing for the Holidays

The stores have started to play Christmas music. Children are dropping hints on what they want for Christmas. And, some of us may be making holiday party/travel plans. We are all preparing for the holidays at this time; and in some cases, parents get more stressed, kids get more excited, and money gets tight very quickly.

We all want our holidays to be flawless but with all the stress that is associated with them, we normally have a fight or two in the family. It’s important to take a deep breath and work on staying focused on what’s most important during this season-family. Here are some ideas for stress relievers and family bonding that will help both parents and kids enjoy the holidays.

• Have a cookie party-make a mess, invite friends over, do it pot luck style and reduce the financial strain.
• Let the kids make presents-a painted hand on a piece of paper is fun to make and sentimental to boot!
• Make holiday dinners together as a family-even the little children can help set the table or other small tasks that help make them feel included.
• Go sledding or make a snowman.
• Write New Year Resolutions together.
• Watch favorite holiday movies together.
• Write letters to Santa together.
• Hop in the car, grab some hot coco and drive around town to look at the holiday lights.
• Make a meal together based off a holiday movie or book.
• SPend time coloring holiday books, or draw and color.
• Make your own Christmas ornaments, check out some examples in this link
• Last but not least, focus on family traditions that help remind you of the holidays and happy memories.

No matter what you celebrate during this time, have a joyous holiday season and remember to take a deep breath every once in a while.

Brianne Wooldridge is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the Campbell County Medical Group Kid Clinic. The Kid Clinic is a school-based pediatric clinic offering medical care and counseling services for Campbell County students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade and their siblings ages 2 weeks and up. It is located at 800 Butler Spaeth Rd., across from St. Matthew’s Catholic Church. The Kid Clinic is open Monday-Friday from 8 am-5 pm. For more information, call 307-688-8700 or visit www.cchwyo.org/kidclinic. The Kid Clinic is a collaborative effort between Campbell County Health and Campbell County School District.