Last Christmas, Abby’s husband found her teary-eyed in the bathroom. When he asked if he’d messed up and bought the wrong gift, she explained that no, the gifts were great. She was upset because she only had seven more Christmases with the kids at home. She was hit with a case of the post-Christmas blues and was having a hard time putting on a happy face.
The post-Christmas blues are that feeling you get that all the excitement and merriment is over. It happens to the best of us—adults and kids—but you don’t have to let it ruin your holiday. In this episode, Abby, Chloe, Susan, and Megan talk about the difference between why kids get the blues and why moms do. For kids, the post-Christmas blues often come when all the anticipation is over. For moms, it’s usually that the fun and family time comes to and end. So we discuss what desires these feelings point to. What do we really want, and how is that desire coming out in the form of feeling let down? Have your kids ever cried after opening presents? It’s tempting to accuse them of being spoiled or not appreciating the gifts they received. It’s possible they are dealing with a lot of big emotions they can’t express, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to teach your kids about disappointment and resilience at Christmas.
How can we manage post-Christmas blues for ourselves and our kids? What can we do before Christmas to set everyone up for success? Some ideas we toss around include keeping routines, getting enough sleep, talking to the kids about expectations, and finding ways to give back and show kindness. We can also find ways to shift the focus a bit from the presents and Santa to Jesus’s birth. If you or the kids are feeling let down, think or talk about what your heart is longing for. More time with the people you love? Filling an empty feeling? When we celebrate Christmas as the birth of our Savior, we can discover a joy that doesn’t go away on December 26th.
Articles We Mentioned
Simon Sinek talks about the scientific power of kindness
7 Ways Moms Can Beat the Post-Holiday Blues
