❄️ 12 Days of Regulation: Day 12 ❄️
We made it! Day 12 is here, and I want to thank you for following along with this entire series. Over these past 12 days, we’ve explored emotional regulation from every angle — feelings, coping skills, movement, environment, digital tools, and everything in between.
Today, we’re wrapping it all up with something every family needs right now:
simple, realistic, actually-doable tips for navigating the holiday season with more calm, connection, and regulation.
Because the holidays are magical… but they’re also overstimulating, unpredictable, and full of transitions — basically the perfect storm for dysregulation. With the right tools, though, your child can make it through the season feeling supported, empowered, and ready to reset when things feel “too big.”
🎁 Today’s Skill: Regulation During the Holiday Season
Here’s what we want kids to learn this time of year:
Predictable routines create safety
Breaks are necessary, not optional
Movement releases pent-up energy
Quiet signals help prevent overwhelm
Feelings are allowed — even on the “fun” days
Having tools nearby makes a HUGE difference
Holiday success isn’t about perfection. It’s about giving kids what their nervous system needs.
🌟 ✨ Holiday Regulation Tips & Tools (Your Day 12 Freebie)
Here are practical tools families can use all December long:
📄 Tip: Use a Plan A + Plan B to Teach Flexibility
The holidays come with surprises — cancelled plans, long lines, tired kids, late family members, overstimulating environments. One of the BEST ways to support your child’s regulation is helping them understand that there can always be two plans:
🌟 Plan A:
What we hope will happen.
Example: “We will stay at Grandma’s house until dessert.”
🌟 Plan B:
A backup plan in case things change.
Example: “If we have to leave early, we can have ice cream at home.”
This teaches kids:
flexibility
emotional adaptability
that change does NOT equal disaster
that they still have control in uncertain situations
how to shift gears without melting down
When your child knows there are two safe options, they’re less anxious and more willing to adjust if Plan A doesn’t happen.
Plan B isn’t giving up — it’s regulating.
🎄 Create a “Holiday Plan” Together
Review events, travel, parties, and visitors ahead of time.
Kids regulate better when they know what’s coming.
🧸 Pack a Mini Regulation Kit
Small bag with: fidgets, headphones, a snack, a tiny notebook, a comfort item.
Perfect for crowds, car rides, or family gatherings.
😮💨 Use a Calm Code Word
Choose a secret family word like “snowflake” ❄️ to signal that your child needs a break.
⏱️ Build Predictable “Reset Times”
5–10 minutes after meals or before transitions for quiet activities, deep breathing, or GoNoodle breaks.
🔊 Use Alexa or the Calm App to Regulate
Guided breathing
Calming music
2-minute mindfulness
Gentle reminders for hydration, bedtime, or transitions
🎬 Try a GoZen! Episode When the Day Gets Too Big
Perfect for replacing frustration with perspective and problem-solving.
🎶 Use GoNoodle for Movement Breaks
Before leaving the house
Before guests arrive
Before opening gifts
Movement regulates EVERYTHING.
💛 Make Space for Feelings
Holidays bring excitement and disappointment.
Give kids permission to feel both.
🎉 A Huge Thank You — And One Last Surprise!
To celebrate the end of our 12 Days of Regulation…
One person who purchased our 6-Week 1:1 Regulation Coaching Program will receive a Regulation Basket filled with our favorite emotional regulation tools! (You will be emailed if you are the winner) 💛
(Fidgets, calm-down tools, sensory items, visual supports, and more!)
Thank you for being part of this series.
Thank you for showing up for your child.
And thank you for believing in the power of emotional regulation — especially during a season that tests all of us.
Here’s to more calm, confidence, and connection this holiday season. 🎄✨
With warmth,
Giovanna & the Connected Pathways Coaching Team
🧠💛
