Page 25 - San Diego Woman Magazine Digital Version

ith the upcoming hol-
iday season, you may Transform This Holiday Season
Wfeel like Scrooge who
was dreading the “Ghost of Christ- With Your Children Into A Magical Wonderland
mas which is yet to come.” The
Pandemic has created fear, sad- By Dr. Denna Stacer
ness, and negative anticipation for
many families this year. Thinking the list going until your children time to spread out the small steps
about the holidays may be caus- move out of your home. creates more positive anticipation
ing you anxiety and confusion. Decide on a date to complete for your children and keeps them
Remember the Ghost of Christ- the first holiday activity. Aim to excited about being with you
mas Present showed Scrooge that complete the special activity with- again, in the near future. Children
even the poor Cratchit family still in one to three weeks of the start do not understand the concept
celebrated the holidays togeth- date. The never-ending list keeps of time. For children, time seems
er. During this particular holiday everyone thinking about having to take forever until an event ar-
season, you can create wonderful fun together. It gives everyone a rives. Since you are pacing things
memories with your children that purpose and direction for the days out over a few days or weeks, your
will last a lifetime. ahead. You will find that excitement children will continue to feel close
Here are seven strategies you starts growing in everyone’s imagi- to you because the next time with
can do with your children to per- nation. You are creating dreams for you is “forever away.”
manently lift everyone’s spirit. your family in the future.
Give your children a voice and a vote
Always create something to look Select one special activity from in all activities you do with them. for other people’s opinions and
1 3 5 spect the equipment and tools
the never-ending list that every-
Just as your children get excited
forward to daily: Since The Stone-
about the simple things you do
Age, our brains have been wired for one in your family wants to do: Al-
different skills. They learn to re-
negative anticipation. We normally
ways have a special activity going
together, you can give them an
react with fear, sadness, loneliness,
needed to complete each task.
opportunity to express their opin-
on with your family. Select anoth-
ion and vote on the special activi-
You are teaching them to take re-
er special activity to do together
and depression when bad things
while you are completing the first
happen to us. To share our laugh-
ties they want to do with you first,
sponsibility for their assignments
ter, joy, excitement, and cheer, we
a special goal.
to feel like their voice counts and
must deliberately create some-
dren about what you are going
thing we look forward to doing in activity. Always talk to your chil- second and third. Children need and the hard work it takes to reach
to be doing to make the special
that they are special. Giving them
the near future. Researchers tell event happen. choices and helping them make Special activities with your family
us that positive anticipation helps Children stay excited about all decisions helps them feel valu- will create a magical connection and
to take us out of a funk quickly, as the simple little things that they able. You can help your children an unbreakable bond with your chil-
long as we are doing activities we get to do with you. Their excite- grow by offering them the chance dren. When you follow the first six
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are looking forward to doing. ment becomes contagious and to look up ideas and share what steps in this list with your children
Sit down as a family and discuss spreads to everyone in the family. they have learned. You are helping you will find you are constantly
all of the fun activities, ideas, and You will notice that you will feel them build confidence and com- amazed at how magical this pro-
events you want to do during this more positive, hopeful, and less petence. cess becomes to your family’s emo-
season. Ideas can include things stressed over the world situation tional well-being. You will find it is
like baking special family recipes, when you are constantly creating Your children will learn powerful easy to keep that never-ending list
watching favorite holiday movies, fun things together. life skills while they have fun with growing because it is so rewarding.
looking at holiday lights, decorat- you. You can teach your children You will want to expand special
ing the home, making, or wrapping Invite your children to help you do how to get along with others and activities with other family and
special gifts for others. All of these every step along the way to com- learn communication skills. Going friends as time goes on.
back to baking cookies together,
special activities will get your chil- pleting the special activity: Your 6 You may find that your own
dren excited and feeling hopeful. children can help you with each you will be helping your children heart will experience great laugh-
They will lift your spirits too. of these steps. Let’s say you decide learn fractions when they measure ter like Scrooge did. When he
to bake holiday cookies together.
Create a never-ending-list of ac- 4 ingredients. They will learn to fol- awoke, he felt full of life, and his
transformation brought more de-
low instructions in a recipe. They
You will choose one cookie recipe
2 ingredients for the shopping list. work together in the kitchen with same delight as you experience
tivities to do with your children:
will learn chemistry while mixing
to make first. Talk about the recipe.
light to those he cared the most
ingredients. And they will learn to
deeply about. May you feel the
Your children can write down the
This never-ending-list should al-
ways be growing with new ideas
Set a date to go to the store. Gath-
the magical connections with your
and activities everyone wants to
other family members.
family during this holiday season
do over time. Set up a special time
er the ingredients and let them
When your children do the
help put them away at home.
little steps on the way to com-
and for the rest of your life. Happy
to invite your children to help you
think of as many ideas and activ-
and bake the cookies. Take pic-
ities they want to do together.
have planned, they become more
If you would like to learn more sim-
tures, post, and share these with
appreciative for how much work
Write the ideas down and post Schedule a day and time to make pleting the special activity you Holidays. God Bless us everyone!
them in a place where your chil- family. After the cookies are made, it takes to complete an activity. ple strategies that will empower
dren can see them daily. Add other have a taste test. Score the results. When you give your children guid- you while you raise confident, resil-
activities to the never-ending list, Share the cookies with others. ance and challenge them to find ient well-adjusted and happy chil-
like camping, hiking, vacationing, Repeat in the same way with the the best solutions to solving prob- dren, contact Deena Stacer, PHD
making breakfast in the park, re- next activity. lems they feel competent and at Doc@Deenastacer.com.
decorating rooms, creating family Do not be in a hurry to do ev- smarter. You will also be teaching
plays, making family videos...Keep erything on the same day. Taking them respect. They learn respect
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