Christmas, although a time of great joy and celebration, can also be the most stressful of times for even the best of parents, with the family home chaotic and often besieged by visitors. Throw into the mix over excited children who have weeks to sit around at home and the situation can quickly spiral out of control.

Keeping your children calm and entertained will be the key to helping keep the peace and getting through the Christmas holiday period with as few hiccups as possible. But before you begin to think about your children make sure you give yourself some time each day to relax and unwind.
It is important with so much going on around you that you make time for yourself, keep your energy levels up and remain positive in order to keep on top of everything – successful parents will look after themselves as well as their kids, setting an example of behaviour that their children can look up to and imitate.

Here are a few practical tips to help you and your children have the happiest Christmas ever:

• Make time for both you and your kids: – provide times of the day where you will be together and uninterrupted (don’t even answer the phone!). Similarly make sure that at least once a week you give yourself enough time to do things you want without distractions.

• Organise group and family activities to keep your children as active as possible, such as making Christmas cards, decorations or wrapping presents.

• Homework: – provide your children with some options as to when they should do their homework. If possible try to get them to complete this early in the holidays as the later they leave it the less motivated they will be.

• Give your children a sense of routine, keeping to weekly events. You could also provide them with some added responsibilities such as some regular housework. They could then complete this in return for being allowed to watch the TV for a little while extra etc. This will give you a little respite and reminds your children that holidays are not simply an excuse to do nothing at all.

• When disputes break out between siblings try to remain calm as this helps to prevent their squabbles escalating. Take them both to one side and explain the behaviour that you do want to see very clearly and specifically. Focus on the positive things you see and hear and give praise when your child does something you want to see – no matter how small this may be.

• Find some good quality ‘me’ time where you go and relax in a hot foamy bath with aromatherapy candles, or sit down and read a gossipy magazine or good book. Take time for you to re-charge your batteries so you come back refreshed and relaxed ready to start a new day.

• Write a ‘to do’ list and then put people’s names, including your children’s names, next to that job. Learning to delegate teaches everyone responsibility and it takes away your sense of feeling overwhelmed, keeping the spring in your step at a busy time of year.

Flying Start catches up with the latest news from ParentMail- the unique, powerful parental engagement service!

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As parents, you play a crucial role in guiding your child, especially during the formative early years. Benjamin Spock once said, “in automobile terms, the child supplies the power, but the parents have to do the steering.” During the first five years of life, research has shown that your child’s brain develops more rapidly than it does at most other stages in life, with 90 per cent of the vital connections formed between the two sides of the brain. In fact, as these connections are formed, an average three year old’s brain is twice as active as an adult’s.

It is vital therefore that all parties involved in a child’s development are working together to maximise their potential. The education system has recognised this and is responding accordingly. The proposed new framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), the guide by which early year’s education is conducted and assessed, is calling for a greater emphasis on the role of parents as a partner in their child’s learning. This supports the importance of close working and communication with parents in shaping children’s future.

As such, nursery workers are being encouraged to improve their communication to home to build a triangle of care and support between the school, parents and children. For effective family involvement, a good flow of information is required. Many parents find that traditional face-to-face meetings with key workers are infrequent, perhaps once or twice a year, while letters home can be easily misplaced or forgotten about! Increasingly, electronic communication is finding its feet as a new way of keeping in contact, allowing contact to be much more frequent and to strengthen the ties. For nurseries and schools, ICT enables information to be captured and monitored quickly and closely, meaning that parents can then receive and access information about their children’s progress, and development when and where they want, using for example, secure online or mobile access.

By working together, and by utilising technology to strengthen communication, parents and schools can synchronise the at-home and at-nursery learning processes.  Greater parental involvement can help ensure early development is as effective as possible, helping set children on the path to success in future life.

Geoff Jones, director at ParentMail.