Children And Family Gatherings
J Gardener
The holiday season is a busy time, filled with all kinds of activities that make the approach of Christmas more special, each year. There are always the office parties, the neighborhood gatherings, the holiday house tours, and other Christmas-themed events. On top of all this, most families try to plan at least one large get-together for all the aunts and uncles and cousins, especially the newest family members.
Parents of small children often face these large family parties with a mixture of anticipation and doubt. They know that there will likely be family members at these parties that they haven't seen in many years, maybe since their own childhoods. And now, as adults and parents themselves, this is their first opportunity to introduce their own children to the rest of the family.
Many parents worry that their child and their child's behavior will be judged closely by relatives at these parties. Any problems with either, some moms and dads feel, will reflect negatively on their own skills at parenting. As well, parents often worry that their children may react negatively to being in the midst of such a large gathering of what might be, essentially, strangers to the kids.
It's a fear that's exaggerated by most parents. They want their kids to be seen as the best kids, ever, but they forget that sometimes kids really just act like kids. Even so, it's the goal of most children to behave correctly and to please their parents. A bit of natural rambunctiousness or noisy behavior shouldn't ruin a parents night, no matter what Uncle Joe thinks about it.
Parents can help their kids get ready for such a family gathering, by talking a little about what kind of evening they're facing, and how they should handle it all. One important thing parents can do to ensure good behavior is to see that their kids are fed and rested, before the Christmas party begins. Tired, hungry kids have a hard time hiding their crankiness.
Before attending a family Christmas party, parents of young children should remind themselves that they're raising their children in the best way they know how. No child is perfect, not even the child of the most critical relative. Christmas is for families and children, parents should remind themselves, and no matter what happens at the party for the extended family, every child who feels the unconditional love of a mom and dad is better for it, especially during the holidays.
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