It’s that time of the year again. That time where everything seems to slow down. That time when kids are home from school and there seems to be a party happening somewhere every other day.
I have mixed feelings about the end to year holiday season because it tends to feel destabilising. On one hand, you are in a rush to finish everything that you set out to finish before the year ends and on the other hand it feels easy to just move everything over to the next year and have a chill ride to Christmas.
I tend to align more with the later. When the year comes to an end, I slow down. Days melt into each other, weeks go by and in the end, I long for the new year to get back to some structure. However, this time round, I am doing things a little different. Instead of slowing down, I am going to be ramping up all in a bid to help you navigate this often murky and confusing time of the year.
For the next couple of weeks, I will be working on a Holiday Survival Guide. This guide will be a set of episodes that will explore some of the topics, scenarios and issues that we might find ourselves in during the holiday season. In this issue, I would like to give you a little peek into what is coming up and also get your input because the success and value of these episodes depend on you.
So, here’s what’s coming up:
School’s out, now what?
An episode all about how to keep kids engaged when they are at home while school’s out. On that note, got kids home from school? What’s you plan? Don’t have a plan yet but curious on what you should be doing? Send in your questions here and I will talk to a child development specialist and share your concerns/ questions with them.
Navigating the holidays with kids who learn or develop differently
The holidays can be a very overwhelming experience for children and parents of kids who are on the spectrum. With changes to every day predictable schedules, the unsettling sensory overload from all the lights and Christmas songs that are soon to be everywhere and the parade of new spaces and environments that come with travel and Christmas parties, this episode aims to provide parents a guide to navigate these scenarios and many more. Do you have any experience with this, or tips to share with other parents? Tell us. Also, I will be engaging an expert and parents in this episode so do you have a question or tips to share? Do it here
Holiday travel and visiting relatives
One thing that we do a lot during the holidays is going home or on vacation and meeting family and friends. I find this one of the most challenging part the holidays. Traveling with kids by road or air is something by itself, but there is also parenting your kids away from home. Unsolicited advice and contradictions can come your way from often well meaning relatives. So how do we navigate this? Share your thoughts, questions or experiences and let’s help each other out.
Family Dynamics
This is a special episode dedicated to parents who are either divorced, separated and in a co-parenting situation. How do you handle the holidays? I have a family lawyer on board for this so need any guidance? Let me know. Have any tips for parents in this situation? What do you do?
Things I shouldn’t have freaked out about
Last year, I did an episode all about looking back at the year and celebrating moments that were impactful for us in our journey. I shared my own and got a few contributions as well that I played on the podcast. I really enjoyed putting that episode together and this year we are doing the same but with a little twist. I started this year with a few concerns. Would my kids get along? How will my daughter handle school? Will I sleep through the night soon? I would love to reflect on these and hear some of yours as well. What shouldn’t you have freaked about this year?
That’s it! That’s the complete Holiday Survival Guide that is currently in production. Like I said, your help and input on this will be very appreciated, so send me some tips, your experiences or any questions you might have for any of the topics above on the links shared in each description.
🎙️EP 43: Getting Laid Off After Maternity Leave
What would you do if you lost your job right after you had your baby? This was Mercy's reality. She was doing her masters, her husband was jobless and they were new parents to a three month old.
Her's is a story, of reliance of trust and of triumph.
Check out her work here
I am looking for contributors to this newsletter. Got a topic, story or idea you would love to talk about? Let me know by replying to this issue.
Chat soon
Sal