While the holiday season swings into full gear, parents at home are preparing for a winter break full of excited children.
But finding ways to entertain children or care for them when they’re home for the holiday break can be tough, especially for working parents.
Here are five tips on handling children during the holidays:
- It’s a vacation: While some families use their vacation days to take summer trips or see relatives, it might be helpful to use a day or two to stay home with a child, according to Care.com. This doesn’t mean paying a lot of money to take a trip, but just taking the day to enjoy time with your children while they’re off from school.
- Babysitters: For a lot of parents with school-aged children, a babysitter is something that might only be needed on the weekends or evenings. But during the holidays, a babysitter might be necessary all day. Care.com suggests talking to other parents and see if they are willing to do a “nanny-share,” where one babysitter watches after two families of children for a higher pay.
- Travel: During this time, it can be extremely stressful to travel with children. But if a parent packs for the trip far in advance and plans travel time around the children’s’ sleep schedules, traveling might be a bit easier.
- Look for free activities: During the holiday break, there are long days that need filling. Looking at local free events and activities can give a chance for parents and kids to have some fun.
- Schedule play dates: Children will miss their friends during the holidays and parents will miss their alone time. To address both of these factors, play dates can be the perfect solution. Set up times with other parents where children can stay at their house during the day and then your own a different day.
