After Christmas

464 words

How To Get Through the Post-Holiday Let-Down
by Dianne Roth

After the holiday glitz is gone, there is a whole new set of problems to contend with. With all the media hype and the commercialism, it is no wonder most of us gasp in relief when the holiday finally arrives,... and is over. What a shame.

Children suffer the most. The hype begins before Halloween and their expectations are so high. When the wrapping paper is finally strewn across the living room, their hunger for “more” turns them into stressed-out monsters. It is a recipe for disaster.

The following suggestions might look like added stress. However, they may help your family slide through the season while allowing your child to practice decision making in a controlled setting.

Below is a list of fun ideas. Use it for planning after-holiday activities. The key is anticipation. If the children still have something to look forward to, they will experience less emotional let down.

Sit with your children before the holiday and talk about choices you are willing to live with. If camping in the living room is not your idea of fun, don't offer it (We loved making room for the tent, eating hot dogs, toasting marshmallows in the wood stove, and reading books by flashlight.)

Feel free to include adult things for yourselves. Bubble baths are nice, and free! Light candles and eat popcorn while soaking.

This list is not complete. Add trips you are planning, visits with grandparents, and favorite foods.

The trick is to get things written on the calendar before the letdown sets in. That way, even though the last present is opened and the wrapping paper is thrown away, there is still a bit of something to anticipate.

Add ideas of your own. Be creative and cheap. This does not have to cost much in time or money! Have fun:

Write your thank you notes.
Go to the library.
Visit a friend.
Make paper airplanes - all day.
Have a sleep over.
Popcorn for breakfast. (with milk and brown sugar, m-m-m)
Have a tea party, just family or invite friends.
Go for a walk in the woods
Make cookies.
Make bird feeders (pine cones stuffed with peanut butter & bird seed)
Set up camp in the living room.Go sledding.
Visit a nursing home.
Make power balls (1 T. each: peanut butter, honey, powdered milk, sunflower seeds; roll in balls; eat!)
Feed the ducks.
Go for a bike ride.
Build a lego village.
Take a night time walk (kids love the mystery of this).
Take a day trip to the coast. Dress warm!
Walk in the rain.
Sketch the moon... or anything else.
Write a story.
Make knox blocks. (Recipe is on Knox Gelatin.)
BBQ hot dogs, outside!
Fix favorite breakfast, lunch, or dinner (be open to the unusual!)

Dianne Roth is a teacher, mother, grandmother, and freelance writer. She lives in Oregon.