Plus, the gift of grandparents, making a mascot from a pandemic, repackaging packaging
|  | Sunday, November 29, 2020 | | | | |
 | PHOTOGRAPH BY ANA SLADOJEVIC, ALAMY
| | By Rachel Buchholz, KIDS AND FAMILY Editor in Chief
Ah, the end of a long holiday weekend. Bellies are full, dishes are clean, families are sacked out on the couch. You’re feeling pretty relaxed right about now, huh?
Yeah, me neither.
It’s no secret that the holidays are always a stressful time for many people. Even before COVID-19 started messing with our joy, an American Psychological Association survey found that 38 percent of people reported that their stress levels increase during the holidays.
Many reasons are obvious: financial concerns, family dynamics, your already-crazy-busy life. But experts also point to something called the “happiness trap,” in which there’s so much pressure to be happy that you wind up being miserable instead.
Unfortunately, after eight months of pandemic pain and right in the middle of a surge, this holiday season already comes with plenty to be miserable about. And despite all the usual stress-relief advice—staying positive, being patient, expressing gratitude—even the best of us aren’t going to be able to fake a lot of happiness.
And that’s why experts recommend not to do that. “Let’s acknowledge that this stinks,” psychologist Andrea Bonior says in this article about 2020 holiday stress. That means acknowledging that your kids know it stinks too. “Remember,” she adds, “they’ve already had a ton of loss. Let them have their feelings.”
This can even help with those hard-to-have conversations with family about limited gatherings, mask wearing, or delaying the holidays till spring. “Take the personal out of it,” advises psychologist Rachael Krahn. “Say, ‘COVID-19 is making this so hard.’”
Holiday stress is definitely going to look different this year. But maybe that’s why we need to respond to it differently, too.
Then again, bubble baths and an occasional cookie binge never hurt anything either.
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 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY SHANNON HIBBERD, NG STAFF | | Feeding your kids’ brains. Got a leftover squash or carrot after the Thanksgiving feast? Nourish your children’s curiosity as well as their tummies. These and other traditional Turkey Day ingredients can also be used for cool experiments that will teach children about conduction, photosynthesis, and other scientific principles. (Above, eight-year-old twins make a battery out of a squash.) Bonus: This article also exposes some secrets about the original Thanksgiving dinner.
Dog days. You’ve heard of survival of the fittest. But some contend it’s more about survival of the friendliest. This video about dogs and other animals shows why it might be more important to cooperate and form strong relationships than be able to win Best in Show.
We asked, you responded. We wanted to hear how your holiday traditions would look different this year, and families are enthusiastically rolling their eyes at COVID-19 grinches. One normally large group was planning on having the entire Thanksgiving meal over Zoom, complete with gratitude practices and talent shows. One of us pushed back Thanksgiving for a few days while waiting on another negative COVID test from a son and daughter-in-law. Like so many people in this crazy year, we give our thanks—and celebrated Thanksgiving—how and when we can.
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 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY JOSE LUIS PELAEZ INC, GETTY IMAGES | |
The gift of grandparents. If your children missed their grandparents this Thanksgiving—and are likely to miss them throughout the holidays—try these ideas on getting the generations together despite pandemic protocols, whether it’s a video hike or engaging in some “family gossip.” Not only can a strong relationship with a grandparent help children develop empathy, it can also help ease anxiety. “Right now, we have a population that is anxious,” says Jenna Hauss, director of strategic initiatives and community-based services at ONEgeneration. “This is a perfect opportunity for older adults to bring the sense that everything’s going to be OK.”
Just for fun. There’s not much cute about COVID-19—unless you’ve met some of Japan’s coronavirus mascots. The latest is Coronon, the anti-coronavirus cat that’s been spotted on the streets of Tokyo handing out masks. The quirky kitty joins Awawa, the superhero soap bubble, and Quaran, the country’s official quarantine mascot.
Family discussion: We’re written about gratitude before, but what’s one thing you are grateful for, and why? The topic is a variant of the thanks you may have expressed around the table on Thursday, and it could be as small as a sunny day or the birds that fly outside your home. If that topic doesn’t strike your fancy, here are 49 other family discussion ideas from Six Sisters, biological sisters who normally write about menus and recipes.
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| TRY THIS: BOREDOM BUSTERS FOR KIDS | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY HILARY ANDREWS, NG STAFF | |
Eco-friendly gift-giving. Inspire children to protect the planet by keeping all those holiday delivery boxes and packaging out of landfills. These easy DIY gifts—from picture frames to herb planters—will keep kids busy as they develop empathy skills by thinking about their loved ones. We especially love this idea for cookies-in-a-jar that results in no cooking mess for you. (For more plastic-free ideas, check out the Nat Geo Kids book Kids vs. Plastic.)
Dinos in the house! Help kids come face-to-face with augmented reality dinosaurs using Nat Geo’s latest Instagram filters. Just tap on your phone or tablet’s screen to watch Spinosaurous and other prehistoric creatures roam through your living room, or flip to a selfie view and watch the ginormous reptiles mimic your movements. It’s all based on our subscriber-exclusive feature, “Reimagining Dinosaurs.”
This newsletter was edited and curated by David Beard and Rachel Buchholz. Kimberly Pecoraro and Gretchen Ortega helped produce it. Have a healthy and a sane (as possible) week ahead!
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