Epi #33. Gentle Parenting During Holiday Gatherings
Nov 08, 2022
Gentle Parenting During Holiday Gatherings
Hi, Cycle Breakers! Today’s episode is dedicated to the sticky, awkward situations we find ourselves in when we practice gentle parenting in front of our relatives; for instance, holiday gatherings. With several upcoming holidays on the horizon, we thought it was important to discuss this issue now, before the celebrations get underway.
Keep the Right Perspective:
As a cycle breaker, you’ve traveled this road without any guidance from your family. They’re likely still stuck in their ways of thinking and your children’s behavior will probably trigger them. If so, with all due respect, their triggers and feelings aren’t your responsibility to navigate.
However, your child’s emotional, psychological, & developmental needs are yours to identify and meet. But, it’s understandable that you’d feel uncomfortable about their behavior (and correcting it) while having your relatives as an audience. You’ll need to dig your heels in, though, and do what you know is right for your child. Remember, you can do hard things!
Present A United Front:
Discuss possible scenarios that might cause your child to become dysregulated ahead of time and come up with an action plan together.
For example, there might be people in attendance who your kids don’t know very well or have ever met. An infant or toddler might cry if approached by them. An older child might display shyness and seem aloof.
While these behaviors are to be expected and understandably so, your relatives might misconstrue them as “rude” and “disrespectful”. Instead of crumbling under the pressure for the sake of “keeping the peace” and forcing your child to kiss or hug those people, validate your child’s concerns or fears. Ask if they prefer to give grandma, Aunt Sally, or Cousin Mike’s girlfriend a high-five, fist-bump, thumbs-up, or wave “hello”.
It’s imperative that you and your partner show up as a team, even and especially in front of family. Having one another’s mutual support can do wonders for your confidence, especially when the rest of the family disagrees with your parenting style. Upon seeing your collaborative approach, they’re more likely to respect it and keep their comments to themselves, even if they don’t understand or agree with it.
This holiday season, it’s possible to honor your parenting beliefs, morals and values, while also enjoying your family’s company. You can have a pleasant experience, where you make fun memories that’ll last a lifetime!*
If you’d like a comprehensive approach to surviving the holiday season while spending time with family, we strongly encourage you to take advantage of our special seasonal offering, The Holidays to HoliYays Workshop. It’s designed to empower you with the tools you need to respectfully set clear boundaries, assertively handle criticism, & confidently use positive discipline strategies that’ll prove to your family that gentle parenting ISN’T permissive. But, that’s not all…we’re making this incredible resource even more unbelievable by offering it to you at a 40% discount, along with an EXCLUSIVE, LIVE, Q&A session with Rachael! With the right preparation, you’ll actually look forward to spending time with your family, instead of dreading it, counting down the hours or days until you go your separate ways. Just click the link below for details.
