Is Anyone Else's Child Obsessed With The Holidays? | MyAutismTeam

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Is Anyone Else's Child Obsessed With The Holidays?
A MyAutismTeam Member asked a question 💭

My son (now 8) is obsessed with the holidays - especially Christmas. We still have our tree up (in March) because any attempt to take it down leads to extreme tears, pushing, pleading etc. (The ornaments and lights are all put away. I did this in small amounts so at first it wasn't too noticeable.) However, it's not just Christmas. My mother, who loves to decorate, put away all her Valentine's decor and put up St. Patrick's Day stuff. He had a total meltdown at her house begging her to… read more

posted March 9, 2016
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A MyAutismTeam Member

Yes, we have a bit of this issue. What helped us was focusing on the calendar by making sure that our son knew that the holiday will be every year! I would suggest perhaps trying to obtain one of those calendars that shows a couple of years on it (like those desk calendars) and circling Christmas of last year and next year. This should, at some point, help him to understand that he will get to enjoy Christmas every year. You might also circle (or heart!) Valentines Day, Easter, etc. to eventually help him understand that the holidays happen every year, which can help him deal with the change. In other words, replace his obsession with recognition of a recurring pattern of years/future dates... is quite comforting to him to realize that there is some order/patterns of organization that he can tap into. Hope that helps some, Jen

posted March 10, 2016
A MyAutismTeam Member

My son was completely obsessed with (mainly) Christmas for many years - this last Christmas not much and he is now 14. But between about ages 2-12 he would talk about it nearly every day of the year!! I managed to get the tree and decorations down at the usual time, but the talk may start first thing in the morning ANY day of the year! I answered a few questions and tried to direct his attention elsewhere but it was very tiring. When I told the paediatrician he said "all children like Christmas"... and I was like "no you don't UNDERSTAND!"... I never thought it would pass but it did. The calendar helped a bit with my kiddo.

posted March 11, 2016
A MyAutismTeam Member

We don't have this issue but how about showing a calendar with all the holiday symbols to show it happens every year. This may harder to do but if you celebrate the holiday too long, it isn't special anymore. As a last resort, no holiday decorations until his behavior changes. Hanging Christmas lights in his room might appeal to him. If he acts up, remove the lights.

posted March 9, 2016
A MyAutismTeam Member

Hi. Sorry to comment on a post from 6 years ago but this reminded me of how our girl doesn’t like when we take down the Christmas decorations either, we agreed we could leave up some winter decorations then in Spring, start getting ready for Easter. We put the dates on her calendar so she knows when it's happening. She likes to watch the old Christmas Classics all year long. Luckily, the production company that made them made other films too and that production company has become her latest special interest. :)
Hope all went well for you and that your son still loves the holidays.
Stella

posted February 18, 2022
A MyAutismTeam Member

Thank you for all the input! My son is quite "into" the calendar and does like to flip the months and point out the holidays. So, I am thinking, as suggested, a calendar with multiple years in it may help. I am going to try this and let you know how it goes. Thank you again!

posted March 12, 2016

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