When Christmas Overwhelms Your Child: How to support calm & regulation
Dam Parenting17 Des 2025

When Christmas Overwhelms Your Child: How to support calm & regulation

Christmas is almost here — and while everyone else is planning outfits and presents, you’re worrying about something else entirely: how your child is going to cope.

The noise.
The travel.
The broken routines.
The big family expectations.

In this episode of DAM Parenting, host Eva is joined by child psychologist Faye to talk about what’s actually happening inside a child’s brain and body when Christmas becomes overwhelming — and how parents can support regulation without trying to control every moment.

Together, we explore:

  • Why routine changes and overstimulation can feel so big for children

  • How parental anxiety and guilt can quietly affect our kids

  • What travel, sleep disruption, and long days do to emotional regulation

  • How to handle family pressure when your child needs space

  • Simple, realistic tools to help children stay calm and supported during the holidays

This conversation isn’t about creating a perfect Christmas.
It’s about understanding overwhelm, protecting emotional safety, and creating small pockets of calm — whether you’re travelling, hosting, or just trying to get through the season.

If Christmas feels like a lot this year, this episode is for you.

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