Surviving Thanksgiving With A Toddler

This post was originally published on November 22, 2016
The latest update to this post was made 5 years ago.

Surviving Thanksgiving With A Toddler

Surviving any given day with a toddler without losing your cool is hard enough, but now you have to make it through Thanksgiving too?  Just like any mother to a toddler, I bet you are wondering how your little one is going to make it through 2 family dinners in one day without making you lose your sanity!

The first step is to realize that this is going to be impossible. Especially considering the fact that just yesterday your toddler had a full on crying, temper tantrum, melt down because he didn’t want the dog to lie down while he was petting him. Yet you are expecting your tiny human who can’t fully process their emotions to not have any behavioral slip ups while being overwhelmed by sights, sounds, and constant attention.

Let’s face it; most adults can’t make it through Thanksgiving without getting stressed out. My advice to you is to take the day one second at a time, and don’t let holiday stress get to you.  The more stressed out you are, the more stressed out your toddler will be. No one is expecting your child to be perfect, except well, yourself.  I know you want your family to see the perfect little angel that you see, and let’s get real- no one is going to think your child is a perfect little angel when they are throwing turkey and stuffing off of their highchair and yelling like a banshee because they are overtired and overstimulated. No, no one will think your child is perfect, and they won’t think you are a bad parent either.  Your family will understand that your child is a toddler, and will not expect anything less.

The best way to survive this holiday with your toddler is to remember just that- your child is a toddler, and no toddler is perfect.  The terms “terrible twos” and “threenager” didn’t come out of nowhere without reason.  Everyone knows that a toddler’s attitude can rival that of an angry teenager, and that is OK.  So mom, don’t lose your cool, take a deep breath and take the day in stride.

Oh, and did I mention wine? I guarantee no one will bat an eye if you go for that extra glass, or 2… or 3.  You are surviving Thanksgiving with a toddler, after all!  Be sure and share any tips or suggestions in the comments area below!

Tags: #firsttimemom #newmom #thanksgiving #toddler #holidays #toddler