Helping your child cope with stress and worry over Christmas

Finding the balance

One of the simplest ways to support wellbeing over Christmas is to help young people find balance across four key areas.

Routine gives children a sense of predictability, which helps them regulate their emotions. Shifts in bedtime or meals, or increases in screen time, can start to affect mood and behaviour.

Keeping to a familiar rhythm, as much as possible, can make a big difference. Families might try to keep bedtimes and wakeups close to normal, and limit screens before bed, particularly as blue light can interfere with sleep and heighten anxiety. Simple daily rituals such as reading together or talking about the day can also offer calm and consistency.

Children feel more secure when they know what to expect. The goal isn’t to create a perfect schedule, life often gets in the way, but rather to build stability in small, manageable ways.

It’s completely normal for children to worry more during busy or uncertain times. They might fret about seeing relatives they don’t know well, or feel anxious about being away from routine.

Introducing a ‘worry time’ can help - a short daily window when a child can share what’s on their mind. By containing this time, it helps them learn that worries can be addressed rather than carried all day.

Five senses: name five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell, one you can taste.

Balloon breathing: inhale slowly through the nose, imagine inflating a balloon in your belly, then exhale gently through the mouth.

Alphabet game: pick a theme (like animals or foods) and name one for every letter through A to Z.

These techniques calm the body’s stress response and give children tools to manage big feelings, and is also something they’ll carry with them long after Christmas.

Even in loving families, conflict can arise when everyone is tired, overstimulated, or under pressure. The key is not to avoid it, but to handle it calmly and constructively.

A parent or caregiver’s wellbeing sets the emotional tone for the household. Children are highly attuned to the emotions of adults around them and if parents are feeling exhausted or anxious, they often sense it too.

Making time for rest and connection, whether through a walk, a chat with a friend, or half an hour to read or watch something enjoyable helps to reduce stress and restore balance. It isn’t selfish, it’s essential. As the saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup.

Children remember how Christmas felt, not how perfect it looked. Taking the pressure off, focusing on balance and connection, and embracing moments of calm can help create a sense of safety and belonging that lasts long after Christmas ends.