Tips For Attending a Christmas Tree Lighting Event
Holiday fairs, festivals, parades, tree lightings, Christmas parties, family events! Let’s do all of these things in one week!
Just kidding!
Plan Wisely
When you think about doing these things, think about which things are most important for your family. Doing all of those things might make everyone have a meltdown! Plan your time wisely so that you’re doing the most important activities and the ones that will work for everyone.
Narrow Down Your Choices
I love holiday events! They can be so magical! But there are so many of these events in our communities. On top of that, we might have activities at church or synagogue. This is a very rich time of celebration. We also have family events going on. We have so many choices!
Map Out Pros and Cons
I suggest that you map out the pros and cons of each activity you would like to do. This can help you figure out which activities might optimally benefit everyone. I always like to choose the activities that give you the most flexibility, or that you can do from the car or that you can escape to the car. An activity that gives you the option to escape to a different location, maybe a quieter location, is always a good thing to think about.
Plan Your “Escape”
I always think about “escape” options whenever I go into a new place. That way if there’s a problem I can react quickly, instead of wondering what I’m going to do. I think we’ve all been places where we’re enjoying an event but there’s a child screaming incessantly and having a meltdown, and you wish the parent would take them outside. We don’t want to spoil events for everyone. We want to enjoy them if we can, but we want to be prepared to make a quick getaway if our kiddo is “done” before the event is over. Typically our kids get overwhelmed by crowds and noise, so you may have to find an area where you can participate from more of a distance.
I think it’s important that your kiddo participates in as much as they can, but it’s also important to not overdo it. Every family’s threshold, every child’s threshold is entirely different.
Talk To Your Kiddo’s Therapist
This is a great thing to talk to your therapist about because they have great strategies to handle these events. They might have ideas for activities to do before you go that will help things go more smoothly. Or they may be able to give you ideas for what to do in certain circumstances. You wouldn’t go outside in 30-degree weather without preparing, without wearing your gloves, jacket, and scarf. The same kind of preparation helps when you’re going to an event. Have your car ready with activities and comfort items, things that are self-soothing and self-calming. Bring things that will entertain the child if they get bored or overwhelmed with the event.
Happy Holidays to everyone! I hope that you’re able to maximize and enjoy everything that you pursue!
