As much as it is a Christmas tradition, christmas story Every year, as I watch 24 hours of TBS, I find myself completely frustrated with kids who have just opened about 8 billion new presents (presents they wanted and squealed with joy) and are asking if they can return their tablets, get their old toys, or watch a movie.
Understood. It’s hard not to feel completely weak. All of these are perfectly chosen gifts, but do they just want that rickety old doll from upstairs with markers on its face? Bought exactly the book series they wanted and now they want to watch YouTube Kids? You’ll want to throw everything back down the chimney with Santa.
But actually, it’s completely normal if your child isn’t playing with everything brand new right now. That doesn’t mean they aren’t grateful or satisfied with what they received.
They just need some regulation.
Think about it. Once you’ve got all your new Christmas goodies, do you immediately open that new set of mixing bowls you sent a direct link to your relatives for? Do you immediately start reading that new book you’ve been wanting, or do you eat everything in your stocking? Do you rush upstairs to use your new moisturizer? Do you want everyone to play that new board game you got within seconds of opening it?
Or are you curled up on the couch surrounded by a sea of wrapping paper, scrolling through Instagram, or drinking coffee in silence?
All humans (adults and children alike) are attuned to their own comfort. And even the most exciting moments, like Christmas morning, a vacation at the beach, or a day at a theme park, can lead to overstimulation. It doesn’t matter how much we wanted them or how much we looked forward to them. It’s completely normal to feel like you need some time to readjust and process all the joy and fun.
Also, let’s be honest…if your child received millions of presents, it’s easy to understand why they might feel a little overwhelmed by the newness of it all.
Gina Gendron, MD, shares parenting tips on Instagram that encourage lots of play and sensory support, and one of her latest posts really hit home with me. It’s not that your child isn’t happy with what they received. They may just need more familiar play right now.
And this explanation also applies if your child wants screen time rather than asking to open a new present.
Screen time is an incredibly divisive subject, but if you treat it for what it is: familiar play, you can see why your child might feel embarrassed or sad when you ask for it over a new gift.
Editor-in-Chief Ash Brandin, known on social media as Gamer Educator, is my guide to navigating screen time for kids. What is one of the things Brandin taught you most through his videos that sticks with you? When kids choose their device over something else, it doesn’t mean they don’t like something else, it means they have the freedom to choose what’s comfortable for them, and that’s their choice.
that’s it.
When it comes to kids preferring the iPad for a little while after opening all the presents, or pushing away all the new toys for a new game on the Nintendo Switch, that’s their way of regulating themselves.
So if you find unopened gifts still piled up by the tree, don’t panic. Don’t worry if the new toy you spent hours playing with yesterday is forgotten in the laundry today. Don’t worry that your kids are doomed to become playless zombies who would rather watch Netflix than build Lego sets.
Everyone needs time to come together, right? And let’s be honest, modeling the behavior you want for your kids is just as important. So today, put down your phone, ask if you can play with me, or take a long winter walk to get your nervous system back on track. Maybe when they’re not wandering around the house in circles while you break up on TikTok, they’ll notice that the new American Girl doll actually looks like the perfect thing to play with today.
