Ep 16: Legos, Alone Time, and Adjusted Expectations: How to Survive the Holidays with Neurodiverse Kids

You Don’t Want a Hug, Right? The Hilarity and the Hard of Raising Humans with Neurodiversity

As parents of neurodiverse kids, navigating the holidays can be…. a lot. Trying to get our kids to tolerate all the events, all the activities, and all the routine changes on top of everything else is exhausting, frustrating, and quite frankly, maybe not worth it for us and our kids. And who says we actually have to do all of this stuff anyway?

In today’s episode, we’re sharing our best holiday tips for surviving the holiday season, including managing schedules, adjusting the gift-giving process, and resetting expectations for what a fun holiday looks like. The truth is, the holiday season doesn’t have to look any certain way. We get to decide what works best for our families and how we want to enjoy this precious time we get with them.

If you’re already feeling a little overwhelmed by the holiday season coming up, this episode is for you!

In this episode, you’ll learn…

[02:19] Why the holiday break is so different from summer break when it comes to the change in routine for neurodiverse kids

[08:04] How managing –and not overscheduling– events during the holiday season can help your stress level during the holiday season

[13:20] Why you might want to rethink your process of gift-giving for neurodiverse kids

[16:34] Why Legos are absolutely magical for neurodiverse kids during the holiday season

[18:09] Why prioritizing your favorite holiday activities can be so helpful and why it’s okay to let go of the ones that don’t work for your family

[24:12] Why letting go of societal expectations and embracing what works for your unique kids can make the holidays so much more enjoyable

[28:04] Aaaaand that includes letting go or adjusting formal dinners if you need to

[30:44] The Last Word

Get full show notes and the episode transcript: https://www.youdontwantahug.com/post/ep-16-legos-alone-time-adjusted-expectations-how-to-survive-the-holidays-with-neurodiverse-kids

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