The holiday season is upon us! While it is a special time of the year, the holidays can also be stressful. The year 2020 has magnified some of our normal holiday stress and brought about new challenges. We asked our in-house experts at Westtown School about different strategies we can use during the unusual holiday season of 2020. Here’s what we learned in our Coffee with the Counselors series.
- When one is in good physical and emotional health, they are better able to navigate challenges. Self care routines help us maintain physical and emotional health, and are important during the holiday season and even more so this year. As our school psychologist, Maria Alonso, reminds us, “Self care needs to become like taking your daily vitamins — do it each and every day.” You can learn more about the need for self-care in this episode of Coffee with the Counselors.
- This year has required us to make changes to our daily lives and the holidays are no exception. Most families made changes to their Thanksgiving celebrations as a result of the pandemic, and the winter holidays will also require us to change our normal practices to keep our communities safe. This change in traditions can be hard not only for our children but also for all family members. In this episode, our counselors discuss different strategies to help the entire family cope with this year’s unique holiday season.
- In addition to new traditions, many school-age children are experiencing longer-than-normal winter breaks. No matter the age, this extended time at home can disrupt home routines that have been established. We asked our counselors for advice to keep everyone happy, healthy, and in good spirits during this protracted period. Here are some tips to help kids of all ages navigate the longer winter break (Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School).
We hope that these tips are useful to your family this holiday season, but no matter the year, remember to practice self-care, embrace open communication, and be creative with family time!
