Approaching Christmas differently for Neurordivergent Children

I think we can all agree tha that receiving and opening gists leaves us wit a general feeling of suprrise and excitement. So whats wrong with that? There's nothing actually wrong, but let's break it down to the sensations we notice.

When we feel ecited or surpirsed there are internal sensations we may feel such as heart beating fast, maybe a feeling of tingling in extremeties, maybe feel flushed and perhaps butterflies in your tummy.......Noticing these sensations means your interoception system is working.

Neurodivergent children commonly experiences challenges with identifying, tolerating and processing these internal bodily sensations. This means that those internal bodily sensations that are linked to excitement and surprise may be itnerpreted as anxiety or fear, causing the brain to respond in a protective way. So how can we support neurodivergent children?

1. Forget the wrapping paper!

Yep, I said it. It doesn't matter about posting your lovely wrapped gifts on social media, wrap a small number of them and then lay the rest out under the tree or on the sofa, this removes anticipation and the build up. Think, even if they want the toy, they may not expect, the box, the way its tied into the box (lets face it, sometimes this is a nightmare).

2. Have new toys ready to go!

This is for all children but particualry neurodivergent parents. If you buy toys that require batteries or assembly or charging, make sure you get them set up ready to go! 

This way toys are able to be played with immediately (one less meltdown to occur when having to wait). It also means, you can sit back and enjoy watching them find pleasure in their new toy. 

3. Open presents early.

Why not let the magic start a little earlier with a few gifts?

I don't know about you but opening presents for days when I visited family over the festive period was great. The tradition is to have them all there christmas morning where there will be lots to open. 

But again, this can cause lots of itneroception sensations linked to teh excitement and overstimulation. Perhaps let your child open their gifts as they receive them. This also allows them to actually enjoy and play with everything they receive for longer than 10 seconds. 

This also helps parents, those unstructured days where the children may say 'I'm bored', spreading the sharing of gifts can provide meaningful engagement instead of those 'bored' comments or wanting screen time endlessly! 

4. Remember your child's triggers (and share them with those who are giving gifts)

Share with those around you your child's triggers or toys you think won't get used or appreciated. Tactile sensitive kids and clothing for example can trigger a meltdown. Tell all the family to either steer clear or certain items or atleast keep the receipt so it doesn't go to waste. 

Perhaps make a christmas list for family memebrs or suggest gift cards, this way your child can pick an item themselves and you know they will love it. I know some people life ti buy a gift instead of a card but this tip covers all avenues for gifts to hopefully be a success!

5. Seperate your childhood memories from the memories you and your family will make. 

Christmas probokes lots of memories from our childhood from gifts, social gatherings, traditions, smells and emotions. That is why this time of year often makes us feel nostalgic and excited. 

Remind yourself, your child is not you and this is your chance to make new traditions and find joy in new ways of doing Christmas! Your child is a completly different person to you and is likely to appreciate very different things to you. That is why I encourage you to pause and think about what Christmas means to you and your inner child and keep those seperate from how you expect your Christmas to turn out.  Yes, you can weave in Christmas traditions and rekindle memories but don't set yourself up for disappointment, develop new traditions and see the magic in those this christmas. 

Here's hoping to have a more regulated Christmas with some of these tips!