Even quite mature and self-sufficient people cannot resist the excitement of the New Year and are waiting for a miracle, a holiday and magic. What can we say about children! But is everything so rosy for them on this special night?
Of course, every good parent is ready to move mountains to make a real fairy tale for the child on New Year's Eve, but how useful will this be for the child, wouldn't it be too early for him to have fun at midnight on a par with adults? And the most important question – Should a child celebrate the New Year? At what age can you leave him with you until midnight or later?
New Year for the little ones (up to 5 years old)
Of course, parents can't wait until their baby starts walking and understanding the world around him, when he can already be introduced to Grandfather Frost, who will naturally charm their child and make them believe in a fairy tale. All this is correct, in no case should you break the children's faith in a fairy tale, but you should not rush.
For babies under 2 years old, it is generally not recommended to bring down the regimen much. Even if these are the best holidays, but the kid, for whom the most interesting thing now is a rustling bag or mom's magazine that can be torn, will not understand why he is not allowed to sleep and why it is so noisy around.
Believe me, your child will not remember last New Year until he is at least 4 years old. But even at this age, the child is not recommended to stay at the party longer than one hour after midnight. Therefore, try to bring the holiday time as close as possible to his daily rhythm of life, so as not to bring down the daily routine and not add stress to the child.
The best age for holidays (5-12 years old)
It is from the age of five that a child can already be left with him for an hour or two after midnight. And the older the child, the longer he can have fun with adults, but in any case, watch him so that he does not overwork.
When a baby stays with his parents to celebrate the New Year, a very good way out is to invite at least one more family with a child to visit, so that the baby does not get bored in the company of adults. Try to come up with at least a few games for children, so they will not bother their parents, and the likelihood that they will do trouble will be significantly reduced.
Again, this is a good age to invite Santa Claus home and not be afraid that the child will forever be afraid of the big loud uncle in the red suit. Before that, write a letter to Santa Claus with your child, ask him to describe what he learned in a year, how well he behaved.
At this age, the child will already understand your explanation about the fact that Santa Claus is real, but there are his helpers. The real one lives at the North Pole (or in Lapland), and the assistants live in shops, at matinees in kindergartens and theaters.
But remember, no matter how much you love your child, it is very important not to "overfeed" him. And do not overfeed not only with sweets, but also with impressions. Yes, parents work long and hard, and the New Year holidays are an ideal time when you can devote up to two weeks to your beloved child, but remember that the child should not cringe at the next gift or get tired of daily matinees. If you go too far with new impressions, the feeling of celebration and magic will disappear, and only fatigue and nervousness will remain.
Adult children – adult problems. Teenage New Year
Adolescence is probably the most difficult period in a child's life for any parent. After all, starting from the age of 14, a child may no longer be as interesting with his parents as in the company of peers. The main question is already becoming - to let him go to the company or not? How to respond to such a request?
First, don't panic. Calmly ask your child - where, with whom and how they are going to celebrate the New Year. If this is a company you know and they will celebrate, for example, at a friend's house, check if the friend's parents will be there. There is no need for scandals and "debriefing", so you will only achieve that the child will be offended by you. Remember yourself at the same age, you were also more interested in listening to your favorite music on New Year's Eve with friends than watching Blue Light.
If you don't like what your child says to you, calmly explain your point of view to him. Maybe the company is unfamiliar to you, maybe there is no plan how to celebrate the holiday? Do not be afraid to give a couple of practical tips, just do not go over to moralizing. Believe me, if you give your child good advice, he will listen to you.
Do not interrogate. It is not necessary to turn the clarification of the details of the New Year outside the home into "partisan torture." Parents will never know 100% of the truth, but you can at least find out what the child deems necessary to tell you, and then draw conclusions.
And most importantly - do not be offended. Many parents begin to take offense at the child, believing that he turns away from them, but this is not so. Adolescence makes you always look for something new, and celebrating the New Year separately from your parents is also a test of something unknown, an attempt to feel like an adult. It is important at this point not to make the teenager take up arms against you. Let him call you if suddenly something goes wrong.
If you go to the place of celebration not far, you can offer a compromise: he celebrates the New Year at home, and after 12 o'clock he goes to celebrate with friends. Again, you can offer to take you to the place, especially if this is a young girl.
And if you decide to let your grown child go to celebrate the holiday with friends, do not forget to call him after midnight and wish him a Happy New Year, at the same time check if everything is fine with him.
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