Do Your Kids Behave Worse Around Christmas/their Birthdays?

yep

I think it's excitement, anxiety, anticipation. The first person who ever uttered "Be good or Santa won't bring you any presents" was probably some stressed out parent (whose kids swore they'd NEVER say that to their kids, and so...history was made:)

Kids act up. Adults argue with their siblings...

LOL! It's aggravating but totally human!

Yes, they turn into crazy children and no it's not the sugar and attention, it's the just the nature of the beast...they are getting all excited about a wonderful event coming in their life.

Didn't you get excited and totally focused on your wedding the closer it got, did you do or say anything to someone you look back on and think "why did I even think that, much less say it or do it?" It's the same thing.

I think we all can be distracted and too focused on something and go astray. Try spending a small amount of time each day with each person in your life doing nothing but visiting or make a craft/gift, sitting around the breakfast bar or island preparing for dinner in a slow enjoyable way, just take a breath and pass on the relaxing attitude and it should help.

Yes, I have a 3 1/2 yr. old. I notice that she does act a little differently around times when we are off schedule, and she is a little more indulged...as you said, more sugar, more attention, more permissiveness. It happens at holidays, but also when grandparents visit, etc. nothing major, just a little more testy. They quickly fall into habits, and at these times, we tend to allow more goodies, more tv, say "yes" more, etc. when things go back to normal, they don't like it!

L.,

I have a daughter who has low functioning adrenals (adrenal fatigue), and these are common symptoms of that.

Our adrenal glands are responsible for putting out our stress hormone called cortisol. This hormone gives us the ability to "cope" with life, meaning bad or stressful situations, like family fights, the flu, school pressures, etc... but also good situations, like going sledding or having a party.They all use up quite a bit more cortisol. If a person already has low cortisol- this person will find it more difficult to deal with stressors in life. The adrenal hormones are responsible for :
blood sugar regulation
sodium and potassium regulation(electrolytes)
stomach acid volume
blood volume
blood pressure
sleep and wake patterns
sex hormone and thyroid hormone balance
mineral and vitamin balance
fat deposition/metabolism
affects or controls all major organ function and central nervous system
and more...

Those with low adrenal hormones will have these symptoms when cortisol has been depleted:

cry more often and cry easily
be more upset than they "should be" for the circumstance
be aggitated or angry, sometimes for no reason
moody, anxiety, impatience,tense, phobias
fitful sleeping, or not being able to fall asleep easily, night sweats
alternating constipation and diahrrea
suffer from motion sickness
salt or sugar cravings
do not drink much water
nightmares or terrors MAY occur
may get more stomach aches and headaches
sensitive to odor, lights, or foods, or skin reactions ...
confusion being able to discern directions
have hard time memorizing things, forgetful
at times the mind can go blank
may have blood sugar swings where the child is very giddy/manic a short time after eating
may be light eaters or anorexic, or cant maintain normal weight or overweight
may "zone out" for short periods, like stare out the window or stare at a wall...
may have urination/bladder control issues
can have what people call "growing pains" which is actually inflammation as cortisol controls/suppresses body inflammation. Usually in knees, hips or low back. In fact anytime there is pain in knees in children LOW cortisol should ALWAYS be checked out.
dizzy, stagger or weave when walking, or have fainting spells.
Tired in morning, feel best after a meal,

Keep in mind that some of these symptoms will not show until more advanced stages. But what you describe your daughter doing is typically from low cortisol and blood sugar dysregulation.
What you can do:

Since cortisol controls mineral balance, you should try to support any vitamin deficiencies. Do not use multivitamins, since people with low cortisol will have high calcium and other mineral deregulation.
Your best bet is to support the adrenal , nervous system and blood sugar regulation with liquid b complex vitamins under the tounge. Also liquid b12 also. Vit C is useful for adrenals. Magnesium could be as well- it is calming.
Acetyl L cartinine supports adrenals.

Testing for adrenals is done with a saliva cortisol test. If a doctor wont prescribe it then you can get it by paying for it yourself from canaryclub.org. and it runs somewhere around 100 bucks. e-mail me if you end up doing it and need help deciphering the test.

Watch sugar and refined flour food intake, avoid corn syrups, try to eat a low carb diet, with quality meats. Do not avoid meat. Children cannot convert the beta carotene in vegs/fruit to retinol (vit A) they need animal fats to be able to do it. Juicing with apple/carrot every 2 hours has been claimed to be helpful in restoring mineral balance needed to heal adrenal tissue and in hypoglycemia - I havent tried this yet though.
My DD is SO low on cortisol I have her on the herb 'licorice root'. This helps to keep the cortisol circulating in her body. It does raise blood pressure though so it must be used cautiously. My DD is in advanced adrenal fatigue and has low blood pressure already, so it is actually helpful for her to raise it.

Gail

Wow I was just saying something about this the other day that right after Christmas and right around their birthdays they seem to act up more. My daughter I can see her birthday is three days after Christmas so it is a lot but my son isn't till april and he does it also.

Yep. You're not imagining it.

When my son was in school (preschool or K) ABSOLUTELY. But, like yours, his Bday was right around a school break, and obviously xmas is a school break. ((I obviously don't know if yours in in school or not)).

Routine shifts will always wind my son up, as will the adults around him being keyed up or stressed out. <laughing> And WE tend to get keyed up around holidays as well. It's pretty fun to watch him take his cues from how we act. I can only imagine the sheer craziness that existed with 20 odd kids being all wound up and the teacher desperately awaiting their vacation piled on top of family stress.

Since starting HS'ing, though, the school-break-crazies have left the building. He still gets wound up for major routine shifts, but they're pretty easy to accommodate / transition into.

Definitely!! On the 23rd my 4 1/2 year old was out of control, it was by far the hardest day I have had with him yet; one meltdown and tantrum after the next, I did not think I would make it thru the day. His Pre-K teacher told me that usually between Halloween and Christmas kids are out of control and it's hard to get them back on track until after the holidays are over and I believe that. And the threat of Santa not bringing presents unless he behaves did not work at all with my son. He told me that's fine, have Santa donate them instead!! So needless to say I am glad Christmas is over and we can start to move toward our routine again.

YES! Try the book "The Bernstein Bears; Too Much Birthday," if you don't already have it. It's a good way to change the perspective for her and open up some conversation, that isn't necessarily focusing on her behavior.

We have a January birthday, so I am totally with you...

All three of my kids do this and I have attributed it to a chaotic schedule they are not used to and the anticipation of what is to come.

I find that the more I spread out my holiday and birthday planning the better off I am with the kids simply because it isn't so disruptive to our regular daily routines. This year I started my shopping 7 weeks before and the decorating 4 weeks before. For the two weeks leading up to Christmas, all we had to do is enjoy since I was done with everything.

The fussiness is short lived and I think most kids do it. I did not have much trouble this year at all by spreading things out.

Good luck!

My kids all do this. Close to Christmas, birthdays, or just a really fun and exciting event their behavior gets worse. I think its all the anticipation, they just can't calm themselves down!

There's a theory about kids getting awful right around their half-birthday, then it's smooth sailing from around their birthday for 6 months. I haven't been paying attention for long since discovering this theory, but it seems to ring true for my kids. I think it has to do with physical and emotional growth spurts.

But Christmas for the past 2 years has been awful. My boys are out of control. it's the anticipation, excitement, and being home together too much, I think. And then there's the fighting over the new toys....
Ugh.

yes. my daughter had a meltdown on xmas eve.. we had to leave the party and come home.. I thought she was tired and put her right to bed.. but she was up and bouncing around in her bed tilll after 10 pm.. they are starting to get better but both kids are still wild and crazy.. I think once school starts in january.. it will get better.