CHRISTMAS can be an exciting time when families get together to celebrate. Lots of us look forward to it. But it isn’t a magical time for everyone.

Christmas can be difficult for many different reasons, including family arguments, feeling lonely and an absence of loved ones. One 16-year-old girl who contacted Childline told our volunteer counsellors: “I lost my grandad earlier this year. This is going to be my first Christmas without him and I feel really alone. I don’t know how to tell my family .”

If your child seems to be struggling with the festive period, we have some tips to help you support them through what can be a challenging time.

Even close families can have a difficult time at Christmas. There might be arguments, or you might have to spend time with people you don’t like, and too much alcohol can be a factor. Whatever the difficulties, it’s important that children do things that will help them cope. Sometimes simply making some time to listen to music they enjoy or messaging their friends can help. If things get too much and they don’t feel they can come to you, they can speak to Childline.

Some children might miss someone they lost in the year, or who isn’t able to join the celebrations. If your child is struggling because they’re missing someone, encourage them to talk about how they’re feeling, either with you, a friend or another trusted adult. Make sure they have time to remember the person. Talk about what they remember, perhaps write them a letter, or look at photos of them, but remind them it’s okay to show they’re upset.

Some children might feel lonely away from school friends or some family members. Again, it’s important they don’t keep it to themselves.

It’s also important to remember that despite television, shop windows and social media being flooded with festive content, not everyone celebrates Christmas. Some people might not like the time of year and others might not mark it because of their religion or beliefs. Even if your family doesn’t celebrate Christmas, you can still enjoy this time of year. It’s a holiday -time to relax, enjoy yourself and see friends and family.

Whatever worries your child might have this Christmas, let them know they can speak to you or to our trained volunteer counsellors at Childline, free and in confidence. There are lots of free resources on our Childline website which can be helpful to young people if they’d prefer not to speak on the phone. From mindfulness techniques, games and advice to moderated message boards where they can speak to other young people, there’s likely to be something that can help.

I’d like to offer special thanks to everyone who supports Childline to ensure we can be there for children throughout the festive period.