“Elf on the Shelf” can be Very Stressful!

Can you imagine as an adult thinking that your every move is being watched?  Your child’s brain is trying to manage everything that comes up at this time of year with limited skills, so additional stress doesn’t help!  The jury is out on the Elf, but if you use it with your kids, help them use their self-regulation skills so they can have success.

Click Here for more info on the Elf.

Share Memories

Start by remembering how you felt as a child during the holidays. They can be happy, sad, excited, anxious, or even mad.   Notice what’s happening in your body while you remember.  Give yourself a hug (Hug the Monkey).  Share your memories with the children in your life, and talk about how they make you feel.  Explore with the children how they are feeling about the holidays.  Ask them what would help to manage those feelings, and create a list.  Post it somewhere easy to see, and agree that when emotions are overwhelming, you will help them pick from the list something that might help.

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