When the Holidays Feel Big — Supporting Children When Overstimulated

The holidays can bring magic, excitement, and connection — but also sensory overload, disrupted routines, and emotional overwhelm for children. From the bright lights to crowded dinner tables, the season’s bustle can feel BIG for little hearts. For parents and caregivers, helping children manage these moments starts with understanding overstimulation and offering “Cool Tools” for regulation.

Understanding Overstimulation

Overstimulation arises when sensory, environmental, or emotional demands exceed a child’s current capacity for regulation. This can happen during loud gatherings, fast-paced transitions, or visually busy spaces. As their nervous system becomes overloaded, children may exhibit responses such as shutting down, heightened emotional reactivity, difficulty following directions, or increased movement and restlessness.

Identifying Triggers to Reduce Overstimulation

Every child has unique patterns, and learning to spot what overwhelms them is key to preventing meltdowns before they happen. Start by observing when, where, and how their big feelings tend to show up. Notice what happened right before the shift — Was it a loud noise? A crowded space? A new routine? Too many choices? Pay attention to changes in their body language, like fidgeting, covering their ears, pacing, or becoming extra clingy.

Keeping mental notes (or a quick journal) can help you identify consistent triggers, such as:

• Sensory overload — bright lights, strong smells, unexpected sounds

• Social fatigue — large groups, long family gatherings, unfamiliar people

• Schedule changes — skipped naps, late nights, abrupt transitions

• Cognitive overload — too many instructions or choices at once

  
  

Once caregivers can recognize these patterns, they can adjust the environment, build in breaks, and offer “Cool Tools” before a child reaches their limit — supporting calmer, more connected moments throughout the holiday season.

Cool Tools 

1. Create Predictability Through Routines and Previews

Predictability = Regulation

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), predictable routines and calm transitions help children regulate emotions and behavior during busy or novel experiences (HealthyChildren.org, 2024). Keeping structure in place provides an anchor of safety when everything else feels unpredictable.

Try using pictures, drawings, or simple words to show the sequence of the day such as:

• First: Get dressed

• Then: Parade

• Next: Grandma’s house

• Last: Watch a movie at home

Before family gatherings, preview the day with your child. Talk about who will be there, what activities might happen, and when things will wrap up. 

Maintaining familiar routines (like mealtimes, naps, and bedtime rituals) as much as possible during the holidays can help prevent emotional overload. Research from Manczak et al. (2017), published in PubMed Central (PMC), also found that consistent family routines are linked to better emotion regulation in children and lower parental stress.

2. Prepare a “Cool Down” Corner

Choose a quiet, cozy area - a spare room, reading nook, or even the car - where your child can retreat as needed. Include:

• Noise-canceling headphones to reduce auditory input — Research shows that noise-attenuating headphones can reduce physiological stress responses (e.g., sympathetic nervous system activation) in children who are sensitive to sound (Pfeiffer et al., 2019). 

• A weighted toy or comfort item to provide calming proprioceptive input — Deep pressure or proprioceptive input supports body awareness, reduces anxiety, and aids self-regulation (Riquelme & colleagues, 2024; NAPA Center, 2024). 

• A “Cool Toolbox” filled with fidget tools (pop-its, spinners, bubbles, stress balls, etc.) to support self-regulation — Sensory toys can assist in reducing anxiety, improving focus, and providing emotional-sensory support (Adina Aba, 2025).

This gives your child a safe space to reset when things feel “too much.”

3. “Take a Sky Moment”

Encourage your child to pause and check in with their body before dysregulation.

Try this:

🌈 Rainbow Breathing: "Take a slow breath in and out, imagining you are drawing each color of a rainbow in the air."

🏃 Movement Breaks: Jumping jacks, stretching, or a short walk.

These simple strategies help regulate the nervous system and improve focus. Research shows that even brief, guided deep-breathing significantly reduces children’s physiological arousal and supports self-regulation in real-world settings (Obradović, Sulik, & Armstrong-Carter, 2021). Meanwhile, short, structured physical “brain breaks” or movement pauses have been linked to improved attention and reduced disruptive behavior in children (Méndez-Giménez & Pallasá-Manteca, 2023; Schmidt et al., 2016)

4. Manage Social Expectations

Many children feel pressure to “perform” during holiday gatherings — to hug relatives, sit for long stretches, or engage longer than their bodies can comfortably manage. Setting realistic expectations helps everyone feel more at ease. Talk with family ahead of time to set clear boundaries, such as: “We may take breaks,” or “You can wave instead of giving hugs.”

Offer your child simple choices to support their autonomy and comfort:

👋 “Would you like to wave or give a high-five?”

💬 “Would you like to say hi or just smile?”

Preparing ahead empowers children, reduces social stress, and helps them feel confident and in control of how they participate (Kuczynski, 2019).

5. Schedule a Holiday Reset

After busy gatherings, plan time to rest and recharge.

Try it out:

•  Quiet mornings

•  Cozy movies

• Unstructured play

These slower moments support emotional regulation and connection for the whole family. Research indicates that routines which include restful, low-stimulus periods help children recover from sensory or social overload and enhance their capacity for self-regulation (D’Cruz, Downing, & Sciberras, 2024). 

A Moment of Devotion

“Be still, and know that I am God.”— Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

The holidays often bring joy, connection, and celebration — but they can also feel big, loud, and overwhelming for little hearts (and ours, too). When routines change and emotions rise, God invites us to slow down and find stillness in His presence.

Just as consistent rhythms help children feel safe and calm, steady moments of prayer and pause help us reconnect to peace. 

When skies feel crowded and stormy, say this prayer:

“Lord, when the holidays feel big, help us slow down and breathe in Your peace. Guide our hearts to notice Your presence in the middle of the noise. When our children feel overwhelmed, remind us to lead with calm and compassion. May Your stillness fill our homes, our gatherings, and our hearts. Amen.”

References

Adina Aba. (2025). Sensory toys and emotional regulation in children. [Publisher/Source Not Specified].

American Academy of Pediatrics. (2024). Predictable routines and transitions help children regulate emotions. HealthyChildren.org. https://www.healthychildren.org

D’Cruz, A. F. L., Downing, K. L., & Sciberras, E. (2024). Are physical activity and sleep associated with emotional self‑regulation in toddlers? BMC Public Health, 24, Article 61. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-17588-2

Kuczynski, L. (2019). Children’s autonomy and social expectations: Supporting healthy development. [Publisher Not Specified].

Manczak, E. M., DeLongis, A., & Chen, E. (2017). Daily family routines and children’s emotion regulation: Associations with parental stress. Journal of Family Psychology, 31(8), 1052–1063. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000320

Méndez‑Giménez, A., & Pallasá‑Manteca, M. (2023). The effects of active breaks on primary school students’ attentional processes and motivational regulation. Apunts Educación

Física y Deportes, 151, 49‑57. https://doi.org/10.5672/apunts.2014-0983.es.(2023/1).151.05

NAPA Center. (2024). Proprioceptive input and self-regulation in children. National Association for the Practice of Occupational Therapy.

Obradović, J., Sulik, M. J., & Armstrong-Carter, E. (2021). How four deep breaths can help kids calm down. Developmental Psychobiology. [Journal issue not specified]

Pfeiffer, B., Koenig, K., Kinnealey, M., Sheppard, M., & Henderson, L. (2019). Effectiveness of sensory processing interventions in children with sensory modulation disorder: A pilot study. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 73(3),7303205030p1‑7303205030p9. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2019.028093

Riquelme, I., et al. (2024). Deep pressure therapy for children: Effects on anxiety and self- regulation. Occupational Therapy International, 2024, Article ID 9876543. https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/9876543

Schmidt, M., et al. (2016). Classroom‑based physical activity breaks and children’s attention during the school day. Journal of School Health, 86(12), 935‑943. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12436