Supporting Your Teen or Young Adult on Their Holiday Break

The holidays can be a wonderful, magical time, but they can also be stressful. Between buying gifts, attending parties, traveling to see family and entertaining out-of-town guests, the holiday season can quickly grow overwhelming. But, it’s important to manage your reactions to stress. Your kids are watching, and they may even be experiencing some holiday stress of their own. 

It’s true - even teens and young adults can feel the pressure of the holidays. One of the most common reasons why they experience this stress is due to the extended time off school. Taking a break from school has many benefits, such as lowered stress levels and decreased peer conflict. However, it also means less time with friends, more time to be bored and increased time with relatives, which can be taxing for a young person. 

If you feel overwhelmed and your teen feels overwhelmed, it’s a recipe for disaster. Let’s cover some of the ways that you can support your teen or young adult on their holiday breaks. We want you to thrive this holiday season - not just survive! 

Plan Ahead for Challenges 

First, consider some of the challenges that turn up during holiday breaks. Does your child get bored and mope around the house? Do they get overwhelmed with family and act out? By identifying these challenges, you can come up with ways to handle them before they escalate during the worst times. 

For example, some teens struggle with having too much unstructured time. They get easily bored and are then more likely to get into trouble. If this is the case for your teen, have creative and productive ways for them to spend their time. They’re old enough to help out with holiday-related tasks like decorating, grocery shopping or walking the dog. 

Pick Your Battles and Take Breaks 

When your teen was a child, they may have attended every family function with a smile on their face. But now that they are growing into an adult, their attitude has likely changed. Be realistic and recognize that your teen probably won't happily attend every family dinner and function. Respect their growing independence and give them choices when you can. 

Allow Time with Friends 

Some parents feel that holiday breaks are for family only, but this may not be what’s best for your child. While your teen is out of school, it’s important for them to maintain their connections with peers. This interaction is crucial during adolescence, as it drives the development of vital brain structures and functions. 

With this in mind, allow your teen to spend time with their friends during their time off. It’s good for them - and it gives you a chance to take a break and regroup. In fact, allowing your teen to invite a friend along to family functions might very well change their attitude. 

Maintain Structure 

While the holidays do impact our schedules, maintaining structure is important. Ideally, you want to keep your teen’s sleeping schedule as normal as possible, as not getting enough rest can cause them to act out. 

Teenagers need 8-10 hours of sleep each night, but they tend to stay up late, cutting into this time. Also, make sure your teen does some type of physical activity each day and avoids filling up on sugar and carbohydrates, which are plentiful this time of year. 

Consider Volunteering as a Family 

If you’re looking for activities that you can do with older kids, consider volunteering. Sure, it may not have the same appeal as visiting Santa or making gingerbread houses, but it can be incredibly rewarding for teens and young adults. 

Without these positive experiences, teens may assume that reckless behavior is the only way to feel good. However, you can positively steer your teen in a better direction by showing them how good it feels to help others. Check out local food banks, toy drives, coat drives, adopting families for Christmas or helping animals.

Mentorship Services to Help with Holiday Breaks 

Being proactive allows you to plan for holiday breaks accordingly while keeping your expectations realistic. But, depending on your current situation, you may not be able to do this all on your own. Bridge The Gap offers mentoring services that can help tremendously during challenging times of the year. 

By aligning these services for your teen or young adult, you’re teaching them how to handle life's stressors in a healthy way. Otherwise, they are more likely to resort to less healthy habits like substance use. To learn more about our comprehensive mentoring services for teens and young adults, contact our mentors today.