We All Scream for Routine

My two-year-old is on a pretty consistent eating and sleeping schedule. I’m concerned that the holiday season will wreak havoc on both his schedule and his temperament. What can I do to keep him on track?

While it’s pretty much impossible to follow your toddler’s usual schedule to a tee during the holiday season, you’re wise to limit the amount of upheaval that he—and you—experience during this fun but stressful time of the year. (Hint: Being stuck in a car for eight hours with a toddler on a gingerbread man and chocolate Santa high is not necessarily the stuff of which picture-perfect holiday memories are made!)

It’s important to keep your child’s age and temperament in mind when you’re trying to decide how many visits and visitors you can squeeze in over the holiday season. If you try to do too much, the entire family will end up paying the price. Remember, you can get too much of a good thing—even when family is concerned.

And while you don’t want to force your child to adhere to a military-style schedule (“It’s 7:oo p.m, so that means lights out, soldier!”), there’s something to be said for sticking to your child’s regular sleeping and eating routines, particularly when you’re out of town, You’ll find that little things like inviting your child’s favourite stuffed animal to accompany you on your trip, arriving on your mother-in-law’s doorstep with a grocery bag full of your child’s favourite foods, and tucking your child into bed at his usual time will go a long way towards keeping him on track, even if he does happens to be sleeping in someone else’s bed and sitting in someone else’s chair at dinnertime. (Hey, maybe you should read him Goldilocks and the Three Bears at bedtime!)

Finally, make a point of keeping yourself well-rested—or as well-rested as any parent with a toddler can be. While it may be tempting to try to burn the candle at both ends during this fun and exciting time of year, you need all the energy and patience you can get when you’ve got a toddler along for the ride.