Navigating Emotional Dysregulation at Christmas: Tips for Parents and Educators
Updated December 2025
A guide for parents and educators
Christmas is a time people imagine as warm, joyful, and full of celebration. Yet for many children, especially those with sensitive nervous systems, anxiety, or a history of difficult experiences, it can be one of the most emotionally challenging parts of the year.
The weeks around Christmas bring changes in routine, sensory overload, family pressures and high expectations. Decorations appear overnight. Schools become louder. Bedtimes drift. Diet changes. The adults around them are often busier, more stressed or emotionally stretched.
Children feel all of this long before they have the words to explain it.
Emotional dysregulation is not misbehaviour. It is a nervous system trying to make sense of unpredictable surroundings. When we understand the science behind these reactions, we can respond with compassion rather than frustration. The goal is not to remove all challenges, but to support a child so they feel safe enough to cope.
Below is an updated, evidence informed guide for parents and educators during the festive season, with new insights and fresh examples drawn from current understanding of child anxiety and emotional processing.
Why Christmas can be difficult for children
Children thrive on predictability. Christmas removes almost all of it.
School events and concerts appear in rapid succession, familiar classrooms look different and daily routines are repeatedly replaced by rehearsals, trips, or special activities. Family life also shifts, with visitors arriving, travel plans, later nights and louder environments.
For children who already struggle with anxiety, sensory sensitivities, emotional overload, or trauma responses, the sudden increase in stimulation can push the nervous system into fight, flight or freeze far more quickly than usual.
This is especially true for children who mask their feelings in school or at home. Masking is not coping. It is effort. When there is no routine to anchor them, they can become overwhelmed more easily.
If you want a deeper understanding of these emotional states and the role of anxiety in children, you may find our blog Understanding Anxiety in Children and Teenagers helpful.
Support through routine and gentle predictability
You cannot hold the usual routine in place at Christmas, but you can create gentle anchors.
A small number of predictable daily points can give the nervous system something steady to return to. For example:
• A morning check in
• A quiet activity at the same time each day
• Returning to a familiar bedtime rhythm
• Predictable transitions when leaving the house
These signals tell the child’s body that not everything is changing at once.
You can explore more about how anxiety and routine interact in our Anxiety Support section.
Reduce sensory overwhelm before it peaks
Christmas is full of bright lights, strong smells, music, busy spaces and sudden noise. For some children this is delightful. For others it is exhausting.
A few simple adaptations can make a remarkable difference.
Create a low sensory refuge at home or school. This could be a quiet corner with soft light, a comfortable cushion, a blanket, or a familiar object that helps the child feel grounded. Offer noise reducing headphones during crowded events. Allow space to leave the room without judgement if stimulation becomes too much.
Educators can also adjust the sensory environment of the classroom. Dim the lights, reduce competing sounds and provide visual clarity when decorations make the room feel different.
For more ideas on sensory tools, see our blog Helping Children Understand Their Anxiety which includes practical ways to help a child feel safe in their environment.
Calm moments matter more during busy weeks
Emotional regulation is not about being calm all the time. It is about giving the nervous system enough support to recover between moments of stress.
Short periods of quiet connection have far more impact than long periods of forced relaxation. Children take their cues from regulated adults.
Simple activities work best:
• A few minutes of shared breathing
• A quiet cuddle
• A slow walk
• Drawing together
• Reading the same book each evening
These moments allow the body to reset before the next challenge arrives.
If you want to learn tools that parents and professionals can use every day, our Free Workshop for Parents and Educators Supporting Anxious Children is a helpful next step.
Validate feelings rather than trying to fix the moment
Children rarely melt down because of the thing in front of them. Christmas amplifies every hidden worry, previous disappointment and unmet expectation.
Validation is the most powerful tool you have at this time of year.
A simple acknowledgement such as:
I see this is a lot for you.
That was unexpected and it makes sense this feels strange.
It is ok to feel unsure when things change.
Validation does not remove the difficulty. It removes the loneliness inside it.
This approach is taught throughout the STILL Method and is central to both our Anxiety Coach Training and our Emotional Regulation Practitioner Programme.
Use choice to restore a sense of control
Christmas invites countless new demands. Clothes that feel wrong. Social contact that comes too fast. Timetables that change every hour.
When children feel powerless, their behaviour becomes louder.
Offering meaningful choice restores agency and reduces emotional overload.
Choices should be small and clear:
Would you like to sit near the door or near the window
Would you like a quiet activity or a movement activity
Would you like five minutes alone or five minutes with me nearby
Choice gives the brain a sense of safety. It tells the child they are allowed to participate at a pace that works for them.
Preparing for the return to school
Many children feel exhausted after Christmas. Even positive experiences can drain emotional capacity. The return to school can be a shock, particularly for children who rely on masking.
Educators can support by:
• Beginning the first week with lower sensory demand
• Re establishing structure gently and clearly
• Giving children opportunities to talk, draw or reflect about the holiday period
• Offering space for one to one check ins
• Providing extra clarity for transitions and expectations
Parents can prepare at home by re introducing familiar routines gradually during the final days of the break.
When behaviour looks difficult, look underneath it
A child who withdraws at Christmas may be overwhelmed.
A child who becomes loud may be scared.
A child who appears emotionless may be in a freeze state.
A child who seems overexcited may be using energy to stay afloat.
Behaviour is always communication.
When we respond to the need rather than the noise, the child feels seen rather than judged. This is the core of effective anxiety support and the foundation of every STILL programme.
If you would like a deeper understanding of emotional states, our Emotional Regulation Practitioner Course explores these processes in detail and is designed for both professionals and those looking for a career change into therapeutic work.
Final thoughts
Christmas can be wonderful, but it is not easy for every child.
Emotional dysregulation is a natural response to change, stimulation and uncertainty. With the right support, children can feel safe, understood and able to cope.
If you would like to explore anxiety support further, the resources below may help.
• Free Workshop for Parents and Educators
• Training for Professionals
• STILL Anxiety Coach Training
