Unfortunately, anxiety affects children too, especially around Christmas. In this case, it is a different type of anxiety than that of adults, motivated by changes in schedules, family and the anxious wait for gifts.
Night Comes loaded with gifts, but also with nerves and anxiety for children who go to bed so excited and expectant that it is very difficult for them to fall asleep. But we have some tricks to reassure children on Twelfth Night.
Children’s anxiety on Twelfth Night
By the time Three Kings night arrives, the children have already spent a couple of weeks full of nerves, so it is very common for anxiety to make its appearance in the form of crying, fighting or insomnia. Time changes due to the vacation period, transfers, family visits, and Christmas activities and, above all, gifts are a constant source of nerves for children.
All those nerves accumulated during Christmas are manifested especially on the day and night of Three Kings. The expectation for the gifts, if they are going to receive the gifts they wanted, if they are going to see the Three Kings or their own nerves because the Three Kings do not find them awake is added to the excitement of all the bustle of the parade, the camels, the candies…
In this situation, it is inevitable that anxiety appears, but it depends on us that the children’s anxiety is not negative, but that it is one more aspect of the illusion and magic with which they live this special night. Thus, we have found some tricks to relax children before going to bed on Twelfth Night.
How to calm children on Twelfth Night?
The day before Three Kings usually imposes a frenetic pace for children and adults. Children are nervous all day waiting for the procession of the three, prisoners of inevitable nervousness. At the time of the parade, those nerves turn into exaltation at the sight of the Kings, the pages, the camels, the floats and all the people who gather around them.
With all this excitement it is very difficult to put children to sleep and, as in the case of adults, what you have to achieve is to gradually lower the level of excitement. It is very important to go to bed in a calm mood and this can be achieved if the child forgets a little about all the emotions of the day.
In your favor is exhaustion from all the activities of the day. And we can help calm the child by creating a relaxed atmosphere at home, avoiding family visits or raising our voices and gradually slowing down the pace of the day. Once in bed, reading them a story or telling an anecdote related to the Three Wise Men will be the final point for such an exciting day. This way we will get the children to sleep excited waiting, but calm and rested.
