Everyone knows that the holidays are a time of much excitement, activity and celebration. It is also a very busy and emotional time of year.

At the same time, having a newly adopted child in your home is a time of great transition for your family. It can be a very challenging time because a new child may be having issues with eating, sleeping and attachment. Other children in the home may be bent out of sorts because of the new addition. Parents may be feeling overwhelmed and mentally and physically exhausted.

Now if you combine the two scenarios, and have a newly adopted child in your family during the holidays, you can see how this can be a recipe for difficulty for you, your child and your family.

Here are some tips on surviving the holidays with a new addition.

- Take the stress off of yourself. No one is going to think less of you if you don't get Christmas cards out for one year, or if you don't bake cookies for everyone in the neighborhood. Don't put pressure on yourself to have everything perfect. Remember what the true meaning of the holidays is, and allow yourself to enjoy the special time with your family without pressure to do a bunch of things that do not really matter.

- Simplify your celebrating. Since your child and your family are going through a period of adjustment, throwing off your schedule and routine will likely backfire on you. Avoid holiday parties that go late into the night (or don't stay past bedtime). Avoid shopping trips that interfere with nap time. Don't go bonkers with decorations that you will have to constantly nag at your child to leave alone. Keep things simple but enjoyable, and do what you can to preserve your daily schedule and routine.

- Avoid lots of visitors and going to lots of crowded places. Large crowds are often very overwhelming to a newly adopted child. Some children become overly clingy to their parents in situations like that, and other kids are overly friendly with strangers (due to a lack of attachment to their parents). Many adoptive parents report regression in their children's attachment and behavior after lots of company and/or crowded parties and gatherings. Try to keep things fairly quiet and low-key.

- Avoid showering your child with oodles of gifts. For most newly adopted children, having more than one or two personal possessions is a new experience. Piles and piles of toys are often extremely overwhelming to any child, but especially to one who was recently adopted. While it is very tempting to make your child's first Christmas at home a very special one by buying them tons of presents, that is not the way to make your child's first Christmas with you special. If family and friends buy lots of presents for your child, consider putting some away and pulling out one a week (or one a month) after Christmas so it is less overwhelming for your child.

I know how important holiday traditions are, and I understand the pressure that parents often feel to make things "perfect" during the holidays, but the best thing you can do is make this a special and enjoyable time for you, your new child and the rest of your family. Keep the focus on your family. Keep things simple. Avoid overwhelming crowds and overwhelming amounts of gifts. Most of all, don't pressure yourself to do things that don't matter. Invest your time and energy into what is most important during the holidays - your family.

*Picture from Liquid Library