How to Help Your Child Have a Happy Holiday

The holiday season is a time for family togetherness, community, and friendship. It is a time of parties, fun, and enjoyment. Unfortunately, children who struggle with social and behavioral problems can feel lonely and excluded during this happy time.

You can make things easier for your child and help him or her enjoy the holidays and feel beloved. This article provides a dozen ideas designed to help your children with learning disabilities have a happy holiday and lessen stress on your family. Read these ideas and choose the ones that you think will help your child:

Help your child select or make unique gifts

Encourage children to use their talents to create something special for friends and family. Many youngsters with learning disabilities have artistic and mechanical abilities. You might help them create an electronic greeting card on the computer, cook homemade cookies as a gift, or make items such as holiday decorations.

Prepare your child for events such as holiday parties

Tell children the schedule and what you expect them to do. Tell them details such as these:

• Guests will arrive between 2 and 3. I will greet them at the door. I need you to stay in the family room. The children will join you there and play
• Most of the grown-ups will be in the living room, and most of the children will be in the family room. I will visit you occasionally and see how things are going. Come and get me if you need me
• The meal will start about 6. I need you to help me in the kitchen around 5:30 . We will get everything ready and ask people to come to the table and eat

Teach your child the names of guests ahead of time if possible

Consider showing him pictures or reminding him of people he has met before. Teach him how people are related to each other (brother, sister, wife, husband, cousin).

Role-play scenarios with your child

You might want to teach your child to receive a gift graciously, look happy when he opens it, and thank the giver by name. Or you might want to practice greeting guests at the door.

Prepare relatives and guests for the possibility of unusual behavior by your child or actions that might be misinterpreted

If any of these things are true, you might tell them that your child:

• Sometimes doesn’t get jokes
• Won’t understand a sarcastic tone of voice
• Will tend to take things very literally
• May talk without pause and not notice that someone wants to take a turn to speak
• Interrupts other people because he cannot tell when his conversational partner has finished speaking
• Dislikes being hugged, touched, or stroked
• Is clumsy and doesn’t like being teased about it

You could tell your guests how you wish they would act in response to these behaviors.

Consciously include your child with a learning disability in conversation and other activities

If your child does not know when to get her words into a conversation, keep an eye on her. Ask her opinion when she wants to talk. If she talks too much, interrupt her and guide the conversation to someone else. Give her a role in games. Invite her to participate in activities.