Hate holiday pageants? Here's help!

Last Sunday, a Question of the Day addressed one of my least-favorite aspects of the holiday season: the mandatory school program, bane of children who can't stand still and pay attention and do what they're supposed to. If your child's behavior at school and home takes a nosedive in the months between Halloween and New Year's, consider whether the disruptions of rehearsals, expectations of stage decorum, or overstimulation from all that music may be at least partially to blame. Then check today's Holiday Survival Kit addition, "Before You Let Your Child Perform in a Holiday Program," for some ways a canny stage mother or father can rework the script to turn a social and self-esteem disaster into a positive and fun event. If you've ever cringed there in the audience while your child put on the wrong sort of act, you'll know these suggestions are for you.