By Dr. Allison K. Chase | AK Chase Consulting
Confidence Creates Change.
The holiday season often brings warmth, connection, and tradition. But for families navigating eating disorder recovery, it can also bring a unique set of challenges.
Meals become more complicated. Routines get disrupted. Family gatherings can stir up unhelpful comments about food, bodies, or weight. And the constant cultural messaging around “indulgence,” “holiday calories,” or “New Year, New You” can feel impossible to escape.
For parents, this can create an overwhelming sense of pressure: How do I protect my child’s recovery without taking the joy out of the holidays?
Why the Holidays Can Feel So Hard
Even when recovery is going well, the holiday season can intensify anxiety for both kids and parents.
- Food is everywhere. The abundance of seasonal foods and social meals can make eating feel loaded with expectation and fear.
- Routines change. Structure often supports recovery; when it’s disrupted, so is a sense of safety.
- Family dynamics resurface. Well-meaning relatives may comment on food or bodies without realizing the impact.
- Perfectionism thrives. The cultural pressure to “make the holidays perfect” adds an invisible emotional weight.
All of these factors can create an emotional storm for your child—and for you.
It’s Not Your Fault—But Your Role Matters
Parents don’t cause eating disorders. These are complex, biologically and psychologically driven illnesses. But parents do play one of the most powerful roles in recovery.
Your support, modeling, and calm presence shape how your child experiences difficult moments. When you stay grounded, it sends a powerful message: You are safe. We can get through this together.
That message is more healing than any perfect meal or flawlessly executed family gathering.
Confidence Creates Change—Even at the Holiday Table
At the heart of effective caregiving is self-efficacy—the belief that you can guide your child through challenges, even when you can’t control every outcome.
That belief shows up in small, meaningful ways during the holidays:
- Plan ahead: Communicate with family, coordinate meal plans, and clarify boundaries when needed.
- Stay present: Notice your own stress responses and take a breath before reacting.
- Validate before fixing: “I know this feels really hard right now. You’re not alone in this.”
- Model calm and compassion: Speak kindly about your own body and choices.
- Protect recovery: It’s okay to simplify traditions or say no to events that don’t support healing.
Each of these choices reinforces your child’s sense of stability and your confidence as a parent.
When Things Feel Off Track
Even with preparation, setbacks happen. Maybe your child refuses a holiday meal, isolates, or experiences anxiety. These moments don’t mean you’ve failed—they’re part of the process.
Try to:
- Take a pause before reacting.
- Validate what your child is feeling.
- Remember that recovery is a marathon, not a single meal or event.
Confidence doesn’t mean perfection—it means trusting your ability to return to calm and connection, again and again.
A Different Kind of Holiday Wish
This year, give yourself permission to let go of perfection. Prioritize rest, presence, and connection over performance.
The most healing thing you can offer isn’t control—it’s confidence. Because confidence creates change.
At AK Chase Consulting, I work with parents, professionals, and treatment teams to improve early recognition and coordinated care for all young people. If you’re concerned about your child or a client, I can help you develop a plan to recognize warning signs, navigate care options, and communicate effectively with treatment providers.
If you’re concerned about your child, reach out using the contact form — together, we can find the right path forward.