ABSTRACT
We all use habits, routines, and rituals to help us feel organized and calm and to normalize our daily experience. The more internal disorganization we experience, the more we rely on external structure and organization to feel serene and at peace. Holidays are stressful because they bring change, disrupt routine, and demand new responses to the changing environment. As they come infrequently (once a year), we are in a constant state of stress as we attempt to adapt to the lack of routine. The contexts change and our homes are filled with new artifacts (e.g., indoor trees, fragile dishes, new smells, seasonal foods). For some children, especially those who struggle to feel organized internally due to delays in their sensory motor system, they can feel stressed and upset as the family attempts to enjoy the holiday experience.
