"Why would parents be stressed over Halloween? That's ridiculous!" a community member shared with me today.
Oh my. He does not get it.
Many people do not. But, you do.
You've been working hard to feed your children healthy foods, trying to steer them to enjoy a palate of veggies and whole grains. And then, the flood gates open up in late-October. Everywhere you turn, children are begging for candy. They run from house to house to accumulate the biggest stash evah. And you're left to oversee what happens with it all over the next hours, days, weeks... heck, there's enough here for months!
You consider cashing in the candy in at the dentist's office? Donating it to the troops. Putting it in the candy bowl at work. And TRASHING it? It's overwhelming to have it in the house, to be constantly asked about it, finding candy wrappers under the bed and having all the plans of what to do with it.
Yes. That stress.
"But Halloween is about joy. Fun. Costumes," he persisted. My goodness he persisted!
Yes. In an ideal world. In a world where the focus is on fun, joy, relationships... and yes, it is absolutely possible to shift towards that.
That's what we're working towards. But when you're repeatedly told that your child's eating habits, weight and health are your responsibility, that feels like a huuuuge step to go from putting all the energy towards healthy choices and fearing that it's all going to implode over a sugary holiday -- to just Kumbaya'ing and suddenly having fun.
So we are going to break it down into small steps in the 3 day Holiday Stress & Food Survival Kit series. Here's what we'll do:
1) Slow it down. Understand why we are stressed - not to say "Aw, there, there...don't be stressed" -- but to connect with what's really going on right now. Plan on taking a look at beliefs around sugar, healthy and generational beliefs.
2) When we slow down and shift out of overwhelm we can look at the patterns - the stress, the food, how want to enjoy our holidays with our families. This is where we get to identify the patterns we want and how to get them (aka a plan!).
3) Connect with what's important for you: that looks like understanding emotions, creating stronger relationships with food, body and each other. When obstacles come up, how do you address them? Let's troubleshoot!
This is stress relief in real time - actually, a little bit ahead of time to practice and have these tools available over the coming weeks.
Join me. Classes start this week!
Check out the Family in Focus with Wendy Schofer, MD Podcast!
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