Christmas is a time for joy especially for children who are always looking forward to receive the best and their most favorite gifts on this blessed occasion. However, the behavior of kids when they don't get the gifts they are expecting is different and can be detestable at times. Some kids may hide their emotions but it's more likely for them to express negative reactions in such scenarios.
Experts say that children are told from the beginning that Christmas is a time of celebration and gifts. It's only normal for kids to throw a tantrum or be annoyed if their expectations are not met. Global News shares the views of Natasha Sharma of NKS Therapy and Kathy Lynn of Parenting Today regarding kids' behaviors during the holiday season.
According to Sharma, the first phase that people experience is spread over the first 25 years of their lives in which their habit of demanding too much can potentially lead to a lot of problems. Lynn further explained that these traits are more frequent at a rather younger age. When kids become aware that they are going to get presents on Christmas, they sometimes start focusing on their personal collection of gifts, instead of observing appreciation of these moments.
Sharma said that it is up to parents to make the behavior of their children normal and acceptable. Teaching them the value of things they received and be happy about it goes much deeper into a child's psychology than one would anticipate.
Parents are encouraged to teach their children how the gift of giving is greater than the gift of receiving or possessing. Telling them that there's no harm in giving away gifts that are extraneous or unneeded to those who are unfortunate to obtain them is also important in today's households.
Making children think of others' happiness is the way to go in this modern day and age where children tend to become more self-centered and less empathetic to the happiness of others. But sometimes, even the efforts put in by the parents cannot transpire any change in children's behavior.
Lynn elaborated what parents should do in those cases on Parenting Today. She explained that to prevent a child from over-reacting, parents must keep an eye on them and look for indications in a change of their behavior.
At times when a child is over-reacting, Lynn added it's better for a parent to not bring up the child's behaviors that they think need to be changed. Let the child express himself, let loose and cool down.
It's always beneficial to teach someone when their mind is not distracted by strong emotions such as anger. Kids Health says that when a child is throwing a tantrum, they won't listen but after they are calm, parents should let them know that they are loved no matter what.
