The holiday season is filled with excitement — sparkling lights, festive music, delicious treats, and the joy of gift-giving. But for many families like ours, it can also come with a side of stress. Kiddos with food sensitivities, sensory challenges, or travel difficulties often feel the brunt of the holiday rush, leaving parents working overtime to keep everything running smoothly and safely. Add in the mix of unfamiliar faces, disrupted sleep, misunderstood needs from well-meaning relatives, and routines flipped upside down, and suddenly the season of cheer can feel like a season of survival. If you’re anything like us, you’re even considering tagging The Grinch in as the holiday chaos coordinator.
This year, let’s flip the script: the holidays don’t have to be perfect — they just need to work for your family. Whether it’s simplifying your plans, creating cozy at-home traditions, or leaning on your village for support, let’s focus on a holiday season where everyone feels safe, supported, and included.
☃️ Your go-to guide for a magical (and manageable) holiday season. Whether you’re gearing up for festive parties, packing for travel, or planning a staycation, we’ve got your back. Enter our Holiday Survival Guide for Families Raising Kids with Disabilities where we help you get through the holidays (without losing the magic). From teaching consent and boundaries — whether it’s those awkward hugs, sensory experiences, or food choices — to navigating allergies, dietary restrictions, travel, and sensory overload, we’ve got tips to help you keep the holidays safe, fun, and inclusive for your child (and yourself!).
🥛🍪 Have yourself a merry little bedtime. We all know the struggle of getting kids to fall asleep – and stay asleep. Throw in holiday chaos, travel, new routines, and maybe even a new place to sleep, and things can get a little wild. But here’s the good news: there are proven strategies to help your child settle into bed and sleep soundly, whether you’re at home or on the go this winter. Here are our Top 10 Sleep Hygiene Tips for Kids and Teens to encourage good sleep habits.
✈️ Traveling for the holidays? Whether you’re flying to visit family, checking out a fun destination, or gearing up for that big road trip your kids can’t stop talking about, it’s totally normal to feel a little anxious about how it’ll all play out. Check out our articles with tons of airplane travel tips and road trip travel tips that cover how to prepare for the trip, what to bring with you to combat boredom (and emergencies), how to prepare the kiddos, and more!
✨ So, parents, are you feeling holiday-ready? Or maybe you need a little hand? Tasha, one of our Undivided parents, shares her story of how Undivided helped her family get and stay organized. And here’s a gentle reminder: the holidays aren’t just about the kiddos — they’re about you, too. Because a holiday where everyone feels cared for, including you? That’s the real magic of the season.
Undivided Conversations: Creating Effective Sensory Diets for Kids with Sensory Processing Disorder
Discover how a personalized sensory diet can help your child with a sensory processing disorder in our upcoming Undivided Conversation this Friday, December 13 at 12:00 p.m. PT. You don’t want to miss our talk with Kelli Smith, MS OTR/L, founder and director of Abundance Therapies, and Dr. Marielly Mitchell, OTD, OTR/L, SIPT, SWC, founder and CEO of TheraPlay LA, who will share expert tips on creating an effective sensory diet tailored to your child’s unique needs. Check out the stream on our Facebook page!
Bonus: add this goal to your Undivided account for the step-by-step process to finding an occupational therapist who can assess your child’s sensory needs and develop a treatment plan to help your child build skill.)
- Are you flying with a service dog this holiday season? Check out these top tips on our YouTube channel→
- Looking for some quick tips to improve your kiddo’s sleep routine during the school break? Save this post on our Instagram→
- If your child struggles with sensory issues, what are your family’s traditions to help them celebrate the holidays in a way that works for them? Join the conversation in our private Facebook group for parents→
- Help other families survive the holidays by sharing our tips and resources! Tag us when you share on LinkedIn→
- Give yourself the gift of Undivided! Make your life easier with the Undivided app, digital organization tools, 1:1 support, Office Hours with experts, and more! Get started→
