How to explain the Christmas restrictions to children
The Christmas restrictions have certainly put a damper on an often-happy time of year, and it can be hard to know how to talk to little ones about them. However hard the conversation might be, though, it’s one that has to be had before the big day. If you are apprehensive about how to have a conversation with your children on the topic, we have some tips.
Be honest
It can be tempting to shield our little ones from what is going on in the world, but oftentimes they are more mature and more capable of processing than we realise. Although you don’t need to go into detail about the effects on the pandemic, making sure you are honest is important. This can mean that if regulations change you are sure to tell them, and you make sure they are aware that it's like this for health and safety reasons, so they understand exactly why it’s happening.
Don’t leave it too late
Christmas can be a really big and exciting part of the year for any child with magic, presents and the chance to see everyone they love. It’s because of this that you should make sure you don’t leave it too late to talk to them about the restrictions around Christmas this year. This way, you know that your child won’t be too disappointed as they will know what to expect.
This also means that if regulations change closer to the time that you tell them what those changes mean. It may be tempting to wait it out and hope things improve, but if they don’t then you’ll have a harder conversation to have later down the line.
Focus on the positives
Although there are a lot of negatives to the Christmas restrictions, there are also some positives that you should try and focus on throughout the conversation. This could be that you’ll be able to have a more intimate day with just your closest family, the fact that thanks to Christmas Bubbles they will be able to hug family members or even just that they won’t need to share their gifts with other young children in the family on the day!
Get them involved in the planning
Whether you are planning to have a Christmas Bubble, or you just need to organise a present drop-off, including your little ones in the planning can help them feel more in control of the situation. You could sit with them to discuss who you think should be in your Christmas Bubble and why, or you could just work out some unique and fun ways to do a socially-distanced present drop to family members.
Tell others what you have explained
It’s important that all of your friends and family are on the same page when it comes to what you have told the children. Getting mixed messages from others can confuse your children, so, when you’ve had a talk with them, make sure to talk to friends and loved ones who you’ll talk to between now and Christmas about that conversation. This way you don’t run the risk of someone conflicting your story and opening the door to more questions.
How to explain the Christmas restrictions to children:
Be honest
Don’t leave it too late
Focus on the positives
Get them involved in the planning
Tell others what you have explained
With these tips, a potentially hard conversation should become much easier and you can look forward to enjoying a big day instead of worrying about telling your children it may not be the same as usual. If you are looking for some additional help around the holidays, whether you’re overrun with work or are just looking to put the household chores on the backburner to be more present, our private household staff can help.
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