But too often they are a major source of stress for both children and parents. Here's what you can do to make the holiday season more joyous. Young children have trouble waiting. They are me-oriented and want things right away. They don't want to wait three weeks for the actual date of the holiday.
Young children find great comfort in routines, especially during times of stress.
By keeping your daily routine constant during this period, you will help children cope more easily. Watching too many fast-paced, enticing toy commercials can cause children to become overly active and lose control. Children love special activities all year round. Rather than pack everything into the period from October to January, save some of those special activities for the rest of the year. Children will be just as excited about making butterfly cookies in January as they were about making holiday cookies in December.