Enjoying the Holidays with Your Child: Tips from the Pediatric POST Therapy Team

The holiday season is full of excitement, tradition, and family connection - but it can also bring disrupted routines, sensory overload, and added stress for children and caregivers alike. At our clinic, we understand how the holidays can impact children’s emotional regulation, sensory needs, communication, feeding, and motor skills.

Below are some therapist-approved strategies to help your family enjoy the season with more confidence and calm.

1. Keep Routines Whenever Possible

Children thrive on predictability. While schedules often change during the holidays, maintaining familiar anchors can make transitions smoother.

Therapist Tips:

• Keep wake-up, meals, and bedtime as consistent as possible.
• Use visual schedules to outline the day’s events.
• Prepare your child in advance for any changes using simple language or social stories.

2. Plan Ahead for Sensory Needs

Holiday environments - crowded rooms, bright lights, loud music - can be overwhelming for children with sensory sensitivities.

Occupational Therapy Tips:

• Bring a “sensory toolkit” (noise-canceling headphones, fidgets, weighted lap pad, chewy necklace, sunglasses).
• Identify a quiet space your child can retreat to during gatherings.
• Practice deep-breathing, stretching, or proprioceptive activities (like wall pushes or animal walks) before and after events.

3. Support Picky Eaters at Holiday Meals

Big family meals can be stressful for children who experience feeding challenges.

Feeding Therapy Tips:

• Bring a few preferred foods so your child knows there will be safe options.
• Encourage exploration without pressure - smelling, touching, or licking new foods counts as progress!
• Maintain low expectations and keep mealtime positive; connection is the goal, not clean plates.

4. Encourage Communication in Comfortable Ways

Holiday socializing may feel overwhelming for children with communication delays or social anxiety.

Speech Therapy Tips:

• Pre-teach greetings or simple holiday phrases using role-play.
• Use AAC devices, picture cards, or gestures if verbal communication feels hard.
• Let family members know how best to support your child’s communication style.

5. Prepare for Social Situations with Practice

New faces, busy gatherings, and gift exchanges can be challenging.

Behavioral & Developmental Therapy Tips:

• Set expectations before events: “There will be lots of people. If you need a break, you can squeeze my hand.”
• Practice turn-taking through holiday-themed games or pretend play.
• Create a “safe signal” your child can use if they become overwhelmed.

6. Protect Your Own Mental Health

Caregivers often feel pressure to create a picture-perfect holiday - but your well-being matters too.

Parent Tips:

• Choose traditions that serve your family’s needs.
• Schedule downtime for yourself and your child.
• Remember: It’s okay to say no to events or modify expectations.

7. Celebrate Progress, Not Perfection

Every child experiences the holidays differently. Whether your child tries a new food, tolerates a louder environment for a few extra minutes, or uses a new communication skill - celebrate these victories.

We’re Here to Help

If you feel your child could use additional support during the holidays or beyond, our multi-disciplinary team of occupational, speech, physical, and behavioral therapists is here for you.

Reach out anytime - we’re honored to be part of your child’s growth.

This blog offers practical, therapist-backed strategies to help children navigate changes in routine, sensory challenges, social situations, and mealtimes with greater ease during the holiday season.