Home Invasion on Christmas Eve
Caitlin on Dec. 14, 2023
The festive season brings all kinds of good stuff. Presents, whānau, fantastic food and the weather...however, for many kids the idea of someone breaking into your home in the middle of the night doesn’t sit quite right.
Home invasion is a concept that can play on the minds of tamariki and a lot of the time the thing they fear was inspired by something they saw on a screen. And there seems to be no exception, not even at Christmas time. The Grinch, Santa, the bad guys in ‘Home Alone’ and different characters from ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’, all involve a break-in. It’s easy to see how that excited feeling of anticipation for Christmas day turns into anxiety, fear, or even dread… especially on Christmas Eve.
Now, our kids can come up with some ‘inventive’ things that scare them, and sometimes it might seem like they are just saying things to stay up a bit later. However, genuine fear and anxiety are feelings that shouldn’t be brushed off. Dismissing them usually makes those feelings worse. To get the kids to bed on time and have that cheeky Christmas Eve snack or drink, we have a few tips you could try to make it easier for them to go to happy sleep.
Before pressing play
Christmas comes during the holidays which usually means there is an increase in screen-time. Here at the Office, we have lots of advice on watching safely with the whole whānau. From parental controls, checking the ratings to how to have conversations about what’s on-screen, this advice is all still valid for Christmas content too. Mātaki tahi (watch together) is the first step. That way you know what they have seen and where to start when they are scared at night time. When you can’t sit down and watch a whole movie with them (because, you know…life), setup parental controls as your life-hack and check what rating and content warning it has. This minimises the risks of them watching something they aren’t ready for and preparing parents if they do watch something that doesn’t sit right with them.
Writing a different letter to Santa
After checking his list (twice) and analysing behaviour, Santa comes down the chimney…or through the heat-pump. He sneaks into bedrooms and puts presents at the foot of the bed while you sleep. Santa sees and knows all. Now, take out the word ‘Santa’ and replace it with ‘stranger’ you’ve got yourself a horror film in the making. Who wouldn’t be terrified knowing that someone was skulking around their house in pitch black? Consider that thrillers with stalkers are given a much higher rating compared to PG holiday movies starring Santa. If your kid fears Santa, fair enough! Luckily, us parents know he means well so we don’t have to put up “No Landing” signs just yet. Along with the present list that kids usually send to Santa why not send another saying to not leave presents in your child’s bedroom. Get your child to choose somewhere else in the house that makes them feel a lot safer and by giving them that choice will that help with those anxious feelings.
Setting a trap
As a last option sometimes taking a more creative approach can help tamariki feel safe. Are they scared of the Grinch? Let’s set a trap in the fridge together. Santa seeming creepy? Ok, let’s block the chimney for the night. Worried about someone coming into their room? We’ll tie a bell to the door. Bring in some of that Kevin McCallister energy and create a maze of tricks to ward off anything that is unwanted. It will bring a smile to your child’s face, ease their worry and will be a fun activity. These little tricks will help tamariki feel brave and close their eyes knowing that no one could sneak in without them waking up. Just make sure that all of Santa’s helpers…cough cough…are aware of the traps otherwise the whole whare might be woken to…an elf…yelling in the kitchen.
It's so important to normalise feelings of fear and anxiety for our tamariki and to take notice about what scary things are popping up on their screens. A great bit of advice is to remind your babies that while they are scared, they can also be brave at the same time. So, whatever they fear that’s hiding under their bed, coming down the chimney or what they have seen in a movie there a ways to meet that fear head on with a little bit of information, planning, fun and creativity. Have a Merry Christmas and a fright-less Christmas Eve.
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