Christmas

Christmas can be a stressful time for families. You might be worried about:

• arguments, or spending time with people you don’t like
• people drinking too much
• arranging Christmas if your parents are divorced or separated
• feeling unsafe at home.

No matter what's happening at home it's important to do things that help you to cope.

Try planning time when you’ll be able to listen to music or talk to message people outside your home.

Remember that you can always speak to Childline about what’s happening, and if you’re worried about your safety then it can help to make a safety plan.

Get advice on dealing with family problems.

When someone dies, Christmas can bring up lots of memories of them. Even if it's been a while since they died. You could also miss someone because they can't be there. They might be away for a long time, in hospital or in prison.

There are things that can help if you’re struggling with missing someone:

• talk about how you're feeling with someone you trust, like a friend or an adult you trust
• make time to remember the person you lost, look at photos of them and talk about what you remember
• write a letter to the person you’re missing saying how you feel, it can help even if you can’t send it
• remind yourself that it’s okay to show if you’re feeling down or upset, and that you don’t need to pretend you’re okay
• make new memories of Christmas, doing something you enjoy doesn't mean you'll forget the person you lost, but it can help make things easier.

If you want to talk to someone about how you feel, Childline is here for you.

There can be lots of reasons you might feel lonely at Christmas. You might be away from your friends, not be seeing your family or feel like there’s nobody you can talk to.

If you’re struggling with how you’re feeling, there are things you can do to help:

• talk about how you’re feeling with someone you trust or with a Childline counsellor
• make time each day to do something you enjoy
• try setting small goals for the holidays for things you want to achieve

Get more advice on coping with loneliness.

Spending Christmas in care, with a foster family or away from home can feel really difficult. You might miss your parents or the people you lived with, or be worried about things being different.

Ask your carers what will happen at Christmas. They can answer your questions about presents, what'll happen on the day or if anyone will come over. And you can tell them about any Christmas traditions you have.

It can also be difficult if you don't know where you'll be at Christmas. It's important to talk to your carer or social worker to find out what's going to happen and how they can support you. It can also help to write a letter saying what you hope for at Christmas.

If you’ve moved out or you’re living alone at Christmas, it can help to make a plan of how you’ll spend the day and ways to keep in touch with the people you care about.

Celebrating Christmas often involves a lot of food and drink. And some young people have told us that they’re worried about eating too much or wanting to avoid eating anything.

If you’re getting worried about food, it’s important to talk about it. Childline is open all through Christmas, and you can speak to a Childline counsellor any time.

Get advice on coping with eating problems.

Christmas and New Year can often mean that mental health or support services are open at different times. And it can mean being away from school for a few weeks.

It can feel scary when you normally rely on people to help you and you’re not sure if they’ll be there. If you’ve not been told, it can help to talk to your support workers or an adult you trust about when services will be open, and what to do if you need support.

Childline is open 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, even over Christmas and New Year. You can speak to a Childline counsellor any time you need to.

It can help to make a plan of what to do if things are difficult over Christmas. A safety plan can help remind you what to do and where to go in an emergency, you can also make a mental health first aid kit to help you cope if you’re struggling with your feelings.

Organisations like Citizen’s Advice can help when you’re not sure where to get help and give practical information on things like food banks or benefits.

You can also talk to an adult you trust about what’s happening.

A budget includes all of the money you have coming in and what expenses and bills you have to pay.

It’s important to make a budget at Christmas if you’re planning on buying presents, as it can help you avoid spending more than you can afford.

There are lots of ways to celebrate Christmas on a budget, and giving a gift doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of money.

Why not try:

• making a scrapbook or photo album
• baking a cake or making them a delicious treat
• recording a video sharing what someone means to you
• making them a playlist of songs that they like or that reminds you of them
• getting crafty and making a picture or sculpture
• plan a day out together to somewhere free
• creating a trivia game about your family.

If people are arguing at home, or your worry is making it hard to enjoy things then it’s important to get some support.

There are lots of things you can do to help you cope:

• talk to someone you trust
• get support from Childline.