Tips to Simplify the Holidays

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The millennial generation has grown up and many have families of their own who will be celebrating the holidays. PBS KIDS tapped into the millennial parent mindset with the Millennial Parent Holiday Wishes Survey and found that these young parents don’t want a high-paced, tech-overloaded holiday this year, but instead a simpler season with less shopping and more family fun.

The survey found that 82% crave more family time and 80% want to spend more time playing with their kids this holiday season. Conversely, many of these younger parents want to dial back gift prep and shopping, with 37% saying they would like to spend less time shopping. When they do go shopping, more than half (54%) say that “hot toy” or “hot gift” lists aren’t as important as other factors, including a toy’s educational and long-lasting play value.

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Tips to Simplify the Holidays 

The spirit of the holidays can sometimes get lost in the hectic holiday season. But there are easy ways for parents to help their family simplify and embrace the season, including these tips from PBS Parents:

• Downscale holiday plans and expectations. Keep the focus on family, on meaningful traditions and simple activities that replenish rather than exhaust.
• Ask your children what they most love about your family’s holiday. You may be surprised by their answers.
• Whether you’re decorating, baking cookies, or making gifts for grandma, remember that the process is more important for your child than the outcome. Keep it simple, and you and your child will enjoy it more.
• Create small special moments in every day.Go for a sledding adventure or a winter nature walk outside. Turn off every light in the house at dinner time, light candles, and invite everyone to be perfectly still and perfectly silent for a minute.
• Celebrate the holidays as a season of giving and doing for others. Grab the kids and head next door to shovel an elderly neighbor’s walkway; make Christmas cards together for the mail carrier; deliver soup to a friend with the flu and focus on gifts that give back. Watch as your children begin to discover the secret pleasure of small kindnesses, offered with love. PBS KIDS provides a unique solution for parents looking for presents with a purpose, offering a new line of sustainable toys in partnership with Whole Foods.