Exotic Flowers in Boston

You may have laughed out loud when you read the title of this blog but I bet it wasn’t because the idea was out totally of the park!  How many of you secretly parent a child who is otherwise perfectly well mannered until the dreaded Christmas season rears its ugly head?

“I want this!  

“I better get that!”

“But you said Santa would give it to me!”  

photo credit via http://702mag.com/

Sound familiar?

I don’t know what happens but many kids suffer this incredible personality change when Christmas closes in and many of us have a hard time figuring out why this occurs?

We use Santa as bait for good behavior, but even the guy in the red suit is no match for the whiles of overly excited, out of control little pills.

Perhaps the “Twinkie Defense” (or in this case the “Candy Cane Defense”) is responsible since their intake of sugar extends well past what their small bodies can manage?   Or could it be the continuous visions we load their tiny minds with through holiday media of movies and books?  Are characters such as Ebenezer Scrooge impacting their little minds with thoughts of selfishness, annoyance and naughty behavior?

According to specialists, the “Christmas Crank for Children” diagnosis stems from an increase of stimulation, decreased amount of sleep and an influx of in-nutritious foods.  One of these off kilter may not seem like such a big deal but when you combine all three-SHAZZAM!  You’ve got yourself one unhappy, inflexible hooligan of a kid.  

That kind of stinks, right?

After all, this season is made merry and bright by a child’s faith in holiday magic.  Their inherent ability “to believe” is what makes the whole thing fun and memorable for all of us who will do anything to see smiling faces on Christmas Day.

Is there anything we can do to prevent this negative metamorphous from occurring?  

Of course there is!   

While we can’t compete with the impact of Christmas Crazy, we can attempt to manage certain areas of their care, which will benefit their health (most specifically their mood) during the holidays.

1. Mandate a reasonable time for bed and just say no to “Can I have ten more minutes, pleeeaaaasssseee?”
2. Make sure they are drinking lots and lots of water to wash their systems out from built up sugar.  You’re not going to get them to avoid all of the Christmas sweets but you can help to keep them hydrated.
3. Lower their expectations of what they are going to “get” and ask them what they are going to “give”.  Not up scaling previous holiday shopping is one way to keep things under control and to evade some of the unwarranted “gimmees”.  
4. While there are lots of invitations to get-togethers and parties, your child may not be able to attend all of them.  Seasonal burn-out is typical with younger children who really need a grounded schedule to go by.  While agreeing to a few dates is perfectly fine, having your family booked out every day of the Christmas month is going to undoubtedly overwhelm and exhaust them.
5. Switch up their books and DVD’s with some topics that are not holiday related.  Keep the Christmas classics that you love and add material other than stuff solely wrapped around trees, wreaths and Santa.  It will help keep things in perspective and allow an easier transition when it’s time to get back to their regular routines.

The holiday season can be a wonderful time for most but for others, there’s a lot of stress and hard work involved. If you’re a local flower shop, you really understand this statement.  Florists have to move a ton of product just to pay for the increase in overhead during the month of December due to heating, staff and wholesale product prices.  For the larger floral operations, they have competition against supermarkets, truck stops and even buy-in-bulk stores like Cosco.  There’s a constant price war and in the end-you’re lucky if you can break even.  For the smaller flower shops who are struggling to sell their red amaryllis and rose arrangements, they too battle against lower quality look-a-likes sold by neighboring entities who can shove a few poinsettia plants in the window and call themselves a greenhouse.  Plain and simple-it’s a tough time of year for these guys so they need to do everything they can to attract customers.

Thankfully, they’re doing a great job because business proprietors and employees have allowed themselves to think outside the box.  With creative ideas that work to relax, enchant and excite potential patrons into choosing their store over the others, floral companies are effectively overcoming the saturation of the market during Christmas and are winning back the prestige of their seasonal décor as they should be.  Here’s a few ways that are setting these guys apart from the rest!

Music is the Key

Music is the number #1 stimulator that encourages the emotion of happiness.  Plug in those speakers and fire up Nat King Cole, Andy Williams or even “Alvin and the Chipmunks Holiday Sing Along” to alleviate tension and increase the spirit of the season!  Both your customers and staff will thank you.

Something’s in the Oven

When you have something cooking in the oven, the scent works its way into our neuro-system releasing anxiety and frustration. When the food baking is something sweet, the effects are quadrupled. Offer a nice plate of Christmas cookies to all those who enter your store and make sure you have both gluten and sugar free options for those who prefer an alternative to sugar or have dietary restrictions.

The Wonder of a Flocking Machine

There’s nothing like watching a flocking machine do its magic on a tree farm!  The buzzing sound coupled with the white flakes floating up in the air can make anyone smile so if you’re on the fence about making the investment-go for it!

Light It Up

It doesn’t matter if the lights are rainbow-colored, blue, purple, white, red or silver- bulbs are a must when decorating your business for the season.  The effect promotes a sense of ethereal and softness curtailing those moods that might be a bit brittle during the month of December.

Celebrate Like It's Family

Do you realize that the people who choose your shop to do businesses with during this season are also welcoming you into their holiday celebrations?  Your entity has become a part of their family’s festivities just buy purchasing the perfect Christmas tree, poinsettia plant or pinecone centerpieces from you!  

Where There’s a Santa- There’s a Way…

Grab a person who works for you and put them in a Santa Suit!  They don’t have to look the part, but they do have to smile and say “ho, ho, ho!”  You wont believe how excited the younger customers will be and what it does for your company’s environment as a whole.

Don’t Forget It’s Called the “Season of Giving”!

They don’t call it the “season of giving” for nothing, you know!  Contact your local non-profits and donate a few vases and plants for elder and homeless dinners or even ask your local library if you can participate in a free flower arranging demonstration!  You’ll feel great and you might even stir a little interest you way!