"A lovely thing about Christmas is that it's compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together. - Garrison Keillor"
It must be pretty common that some topics are to be avoided in holiday conversations or comedy writers and cartoonists would be out of material and jobs.
So, help your child out by practicing conversations with others they see during the holidays. Perhaps write a social story about what to do when you greet someone.....and cue others in your family/friend circle if your child doesn't like to be hugged or touched.
Let your family and friends know ahead of time of some topics they can discuss with your child. What are they interested in, things going on in school, favorite books, etc.
Also let your child know if there are things that are "private" and NOT to be discussed with others outside the immediate family.
One of the things we do in our family is "in my mind". You can say anything "in your mind", but you do NOT say them out loud. If a cousin is driving your child crazy, he is allowed to think, "boy they are driving me nuts, I wish they would go away." However, you do NOT say that to your cousin. It allows them permission to validate their feelings and also teaches them manners of appropriate behavior when things are not going according to their plan. They can say, "I need to go to the bathroom" to get away from folks and get a quiet few minutes, instead of having a verbal meltdown. Or "I think I hear my mom calling me".
My husband says he has mastered this technique at his office :)
This is great advice, April! I have a hard time using my own "edit button," so maybe my kiddo and I can learn together this season on how not to spout what we are thinking. :)
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