6 Tricks to Surviving the Holidays with Kids and Dogs (#6 is a Game Changer!)
When normal, everyday life is full of chaos when you live with kids and dogs, the thought of adding holiday stress can feel super overwhelming. Kids are home from school, sugared up from baking cookies with grandma. The frigid temperatures have prevented you from getting your dog out for their usual walks. The only thing getting you through the day is the thought of watching a Hallmark movie with a glass of wine after everyone is in bed. Have I been there? You betcha.
Try out these tips to add more calm into your home this holiday season.
#1: Supervise a game that includes your 2-legged and 4-legged kiddos. This one is super simple, and *bonus* doesn’t require much of your energy. Start by giving your child a dog treat or piece of kibble. They will go “hide” in another room (simply standing in another room will suffice). Prevent your dog from following them by either holding them on leash, putting them behind a gate, or cuing them to wait if they know that skill. When your child is ready, have them call your dog’s name, and let your dog search for them. Have your child toss the treat on the ground as soon as your dog finds them to avoid nipping at fingers or jumping up on them. Repeat! If you have multiple kids, they can take turns hiding.
#2: Give everyone alone time. It can be really stimulating for both humans and dogs to be around each other all the time. Carve out time in your schedules for everyone to decompress and make sure to allow them enough time in their own space until they are ready to come back out, more regulated than before.
#3: Visit a Sniffspot! If you haven’t experienced a Sniffspot, I highly recommend. They are essentially Airbnb for fenced backyards or safe spaces for dogs to roam off leash. This allows your dog to have much needed sniffing time in a brand new environment. The same walk around the block can get really boring for them! The kids will have a blast too.
#4: Separation. If you are busy making food, on the phone, etc. make sure to separate young kids from your dog (gates are great for this). Toddlers and young children do not have the cognitive ability to understand appropriate behavior around dogs. A pull of a tail or a toddler crawling up to a resting dog can easily lead to a bite, and the last thing you need during the holidays is a trip to the ER.
#5: Communicate to guests. If you will have visitors at your house, make sure they understand your boundaries with kids and dogs. Another time when bites are more likely to occur is when family members who are unfamiliar with your dog assume things are acceptable when they aren’t.
#6: Take care of yourself! Parenting is filled with fulfilling magical moments, AND, can be really draining, especially around the holidays when there is often more added to your plate. Practice saying no to things that don’t fill your cup, set realistic expectations for yourself, and carve out little times in your day to focus on your needs.