Dear parents,

I will not be delivering the 12 days of Christmas - who has time for that?! What I WAS able to do, was spend some time with my amazing friend and fellow parent in the trenches, Kim, to explore 12 tips for the holidays, particularly applicable if you have neurodivergent kids.

If you approach the holidays with apprehension, feeling the stress begin to build as you imagine all the ways in which you will need to carefully construct the Christmas landscape for your neurodivergent kiddos, we get it - wholeheartedly. And today we'll be sharing some of the strategies, adjustments and tips we've collected (and done ourselves) over the years that help our families address the social dynamics and expectations, the sensory overload, the varying thresholds for tolerating change, and so much more that comes with the holiday season. We know the importance of the tribe when it comes to parenting, and exchanging tips and tricks is one way we can be there for one another. No formula is the same for every family, and that's especially true for neurodiverse ones, so Kim and I will not pretend to be Christmas elves with perfectly wrapped gifts of peace here. What we do know though, is that there are things we tend to encounter that feel extra daunting, complicated and nuanced, and that there are helpful themes to pay attention to and give ourselves permission to adapt around. Today we'll highlight those in an effort to partner up with you this Christmas, sharing both the joys and the trials of the holidays with you.

May you experience connection and meaning this December break. Happy Holidays from us at Parenting in the Trenches! See you in the new year!

{P.S.}
If you find some quiet time in the weeks ahead, we'd invite you to scroll through the previous episodes and if you'd like to do some reading, check out our Living Room Learning resources page. Several of our online courses are currently being offered at reduced rates until the end of 2021, and there's a whole library of free articles and videos you can soak in at your leisure.