Did you think the mental load was going to raise your foot during the holidays? Missed. She is also part of the trip, is embedded in the suitcase, squat the To-Do List, and never really takes leave. Between the children to occupy, the bags to prepare and the meals to be managed, this invisible pressure can even increase during the holidays. It is precisely to avoid this overload that the psychologist Aurélie Callet, co -founder of the cabinet Kidz and Family, shared on the networks three simple levers to preserve her balance during the holidays. His approach is based on an obvious principle: think of yourself too, a little, in the middle of the summer whirlwind.
Anticipate the holidays, even if it’s not fun, it changes everything
Nothing glamorous at the idea of planning the menus in advance or packing the fifteen days before departure. And yet, this is often where everything is played out. The more we anticipate, the less we find ourselves running in all directions. Aurélie Callet even recommends printing a school menu found on the internet to draw inspiration and avoid daily headaches. A very simple, but formidably effective tip.
Program a races delivery before return, reserve activities upstream, establish some benchmarks for children: so many small gestures that reduce decisions to be taken once on site. “”Do not suit your suitcases the day before, especially if you have several children, it’s hell“, warns the psychologist. A few hours of preparation, it is often several days of peaceful tranquility.
During the holidays, share more to lighten everyone
Holidays can become a more balanced daily laboratory. This is precisely the ideal moment to experiment with another distribution of tasks, without pressure. “”There are not really any rules: that everyone does what they like to do or what bothers him the least!“Explains the specialist. Clearly: less expectations, more tolerance, and a more spontaneous distribution of responsibilities.
This also supposes to accept that certain things are not done exactly as we would like. “”Letting go concerns everyone during periods of leave“, Recalls Aurélie Callet.”This implies accepting to let go of tasks that we are used to managing and accepting that it may be less well done or not done in the same way“. The objective? To avoid that the person who manages most usually remains alone at the controls, even by the sea.
Learn to say no, including during the holidays
Spending time with your children does not mean responding to all their requests all the time. “”We don’t have to do tons of stuff, because it’s the holidays“, Underlines the psychologist. She encourages to alternate between active days and quieter days, without guilt. Accepting boredom, for children as well as for parents, can even be beneficial.
The idea is not to restrict the desires, but to make healthy limits. A calm moment for some while the others play alone, an activity independently while adults rest: each member of the family has the right to their space. And if that involves saying no to yet another outing in the park or an evening that is dragged, that’s also it, take care of yourself during the holidays.