Holidays... Happy, Or Horrible?

The holidays are commonly perceived as a happy, festive, food-filled time to see family, be thankful and spend time with loved ones.

And while this might be the case for a lot of people, a lot of people find the holidays a very difficult time of year, with limited support, lack of understanding and a general sense of loneliness.Here are some reasons why the holidays can be a difficult time for some people:

• You are expected to always be happy

• You feel obliged to spend a lot of time with family and constantly be energetic and happy

• You feel that you should be grateful, and thankful

• Teens are stressed about finals and college applications

• There is more social interaction than you might be used to

Often, teens are the ones that struggle with the holiday season, so here are five tips for helping your teen manage the holidays:

• Give your teen space

• Give them permission to be sad even at the holidays

• Turn off the Christmas carols if they’re not in the mood

• Allow them to skip a Christmas party if they don’t feel up to it

• Acknowledge with your teen that it’s ok to not feel happy at Christmas

As a parent, it can be difficult to see your teen not enjoying the holiday season, but give the above tips a try and see if they help. Need additional support this holiday season? Our teen experts are standing by to help. Contact us here!