Holiday Activities Ranked By The Odds Of Your Kid Melting Down

    "Pa rum pa tantrum, rum pa tantrum."

    Mike Spohr
    by Mike Spohr

    BuzzFeed Staff

    20. Christmas crafts.

    Flickr: the_pdub / Via Creative Commons

    For the most part, this is a nice, low-risk activity. That being said, if the finished craft doesn't turn out the way your kid hoped, all hell could break loose.


    Risk of Meltdown    : LOW

    19. Driving around to look at the lights.

    brit.co

    This is normally fun for the whole family, but if you leave your kids in the car too long you risk turning your "silent night" into "Hark! The herald angels scream."

    Risk of Meltdown: LOW

    18. Getting a Christmas tree at a lot.

    Flickr: j_regan / Via Creative Commons

    Fact: You're not buying the 11-foot-tall, $200 tree even though your kid fall is in love with it. Cue meltdown city when you leave with a normal-sized one.

    Risk of Meltdown: LOW

    17. Cutting down a Christmas tree.

    Flickr: nguarracino / Via Creative Commons

    Here you have all the same meltdown risks involved in the Christmas tree lot scenario, but with the added potential of "I wanna hold the saw by myself!" drama thrown in.

    Risk of meltdown: LOW/MEDIUM

    16. Listening to a reading of 'Twas The Night Before Christmas.

    NBC

    Younger kids have trouble understanding 19th century English terminology, which would lead to a lot more meltdowns if the poem wasn't so mercifully short.


    Risk of meltdown:     LOW/MEDIUM

    15. Watching a Christmas parade.

    Flickr: ennuipoet / Via Creative Commons

    Lots of standing + cries of "I can't see!" = a bad combination.

    Risk of meltdown: LOW/MEDIUM

    14. Attending a performance of A Christmas Carol.

    Flickr: theatrebhs / Via Creative Commons

    Kids enjoy this classic (especially with all the ghost stuff), but the nearly two and a half hour running time will cause some little ones to lose their you know whats.

    Risk of meltdown: MEDIUM

    13. Making holiday cookies.

    12. Building a gingerbread house.

    Flickr: gardener41 / Via Creative Commons

    If kids get squirrely when they have to wait 20 minutes for cookies to bake, they get really squirrely when they can't eat their gingerbread house at all (or at least for a day or two).

    Risk of meltdown: MEDIUM

    11. Christmas caroling.

    10. Decorating the family Christmas tree.

    9. Attending midnight mass.

    Flickr: cinemadreams / Via Creative Commons

    Keeping kids up this late the night before Christmas has disaster written all over it. The only reason this isn't ranked higher is because kids try to keep it together in case Santa is still watching.

    Risk of meltdown: MEDIUM/HIGH

    8. Taking in a tree lighting ceremony.

    7. Playing in the snow.

    Flickr: ruthanddave / Via Creative Commons

    Kids go all in initially, but after a couple hours of cold, not to mention a snowball or two in face, the waterworks are all but guaranteed.

    Risk of meltdown: MEDIUM/HIGH

    6. Ice skating.

    Flickr: photochiel / Via Creative Commons

    Falls on the ice, falls on the ice, falls on the ice...

    Risk of meltdown: HIGH

    5. Christmas shopping.

    Flickr: msenese / Via Creative Commons

    All the people, plus the boredom of watching you pick out the right dress shirt for Uncle Earl, make for one twisted meltdown recipe.

    Risk of meltdown: HIGH

    4. Sitting through a sibling's Christmas Show.

    Flickr: theadventuresofdan / Via Creative Commons

    Three hours of kids mumbling through Christmas songs is enough to make you have a meltdown, too.

    Risk of meltdown: HIGH

    3. A Christmas card photo shoot.

    Flickr: wejus / Via Creative Commons

    "Look here! Put that down! Look at the camera! WHY ARE YOU CRYING?!"

    Risk of meltdown: HIGH

    2. Going to meet Santa.

    photos.ellen.warnerbros.com

    Where do I start? With the long wait? Anxiety over requesting the right gift? The fear of Santa's lap?

    Risk of meltdown: HIGH

    1. Attending a performance of The Nutcracker.

    Flickr: panacheart / Via Creative Commons

    What genius dreamed up the idea of taking your kid to sit through two hours (ahem, TWO HOURS) of ballet at Christmas?

    Risk of meltdown: You're screwed.