The holiday season can be stressful on families. The latest C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health finds that one in five parents believe their children have unrealistic expectations for the holiday season while one in four admit that they set overly idealistic expectations of themselves. Sarah Clark is the co-director of the poll. She spoke with Michigan News Network.
“Parents may be surprised to learn that what they think is important to their kids isn’t the same thing as what their kids say, and that conversation really can be the start of parents giving themselves permission to let some things go,” Clark said. “You don’t always have to do everything that you did in a prior holiday.”
Parents say the most effective ways to reduce their holiday stress include time alone, listening to music, exercise, and even going to work. 1 in 6 parents rate their stress level as high during the holiday season with nearly twice as many mothers experiencing high stress than fathers.
