The best tips for parents for an Stress-Free Christmas
Let’s be honest as much as we love Christmas and the joy it brings our loved ones it can be stressful making the magic each December. There are some helpful tips for a stress-free Christmas to enjoy the holiday season with special people in your life.
To help keep you on track this holiday season check out this FREE Christmas Check To-Do check list. Print off and use this Christmas. No last minute rushing around for you!
Start Early
The earlier you start planning out your holiday season the less rushed and stressed you will be. No need to panic and wait until the last minute.
- Start a gift idea list a few months out. Jot them down when you think of them
- look into events (The Nutcracker, Breakfast with Santa, gift exchange parties etc) you want to attend early and block them out on your calendar. Take advantage of early bird ticket prices!
- Knockout any tasks you can earlier in the year. Like scheduling your family photo session for your holiday cards in early Fall.
Get Organized
Staying organized is one the best ways to avoid any headaches this Christmas. Making gift list of what you plan on gifting has always helped me. You can make sure everyone is covered and no one is forgotten. Just thinking about last minute shopping stresses me out. Find a way to stay organized that works best for you, on your phone, google/excel spreadsheet, or an old fashion paper. If you shop early and stash the gifts around the house make sure you make a note of where you put them š
Pull out your calendar and block out tasks you need to do and by when. Here are some tasks you plan ahead of time.
- Purchase Christmas Tree
- Decorate inside
- Decorate outdoors
- Shopping days
- Family Holiday Events (ballet, pics with Santa, ice skating, etc)
- Holiday parties and gift exchanges
- Travel time
- House prep before guests arrive
- Purchase food and prep
Seeing what you have to tackle before Christmas Day may seem overwhelming but breaking it up and checking off one of two things at a time is more manageable.
Manage your To-do List
Keeping a to-do list is essential for managing stress during the holidays. There are far to many things to check off and try to keep a mental list in your head. Something is sure to fall through the cracks.
Like I mentioned before look at your tasks and group them into small chunks. Setting dates to get things done by will help you knock off all the items on your list.
It’s also important to look at your to-do list and decide what is important to you and your family. See what is a top priority and simplify the list where you can.
Keep to your Budget
This is important! Kids do not need everything they put on their list for Santa. Overspending and finances can cause a family major stress at any time during the year. Don’t let money ruin your holiday magic. Staying on budget will help you have a stress-free Christmas. Here is a great resource for budgeting for Christmas. Dave Ramsey How to budget for Christmas
Shop early and take advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals for gifts. If you are hosting a holiday party scale back and spend money on what your guests will truly enjoy.
It’s Ok to Say No
Repeat… It is OK to say NO. Let me hear it again! Again look at what is a priority for you and your family this holiday season. Make sure you accomplish those things and say No to other things. Traveling and a party invite comes up a couple of days before you leave, its ok to say no so can feel prepared for your trip. Adding more to your plate than you have time certainly will add to stress.
Help relieve holiday pressure by saying No. Give your self mental days to rest and relax and soak in the magic of the holidays. You would hate to have holiday burn out by Christmas Day.
No one is Perfect
No one or anything is perfect. Release that pressure you put on yourself have a perfectly decorated home, amazing homemade cookies, perfectly wrapped presents, Pinterest wins, etc. Your home is not a magazine, it is a well lived in home filled with lots of love. Do what you can and if doesn’t all happen by Christmas it’s ok. Your family will still make beautiful memories and that’s all that really matters.
Ask for Help
Feeling overwhelmed? As much as you want to be able to do it all it’s ok to ask for help. Making the holiday magic should be a team effort. Ask you partner to help out and pick up the slack on some of the other household jobs. Have older kids help with gift wrapping, hanging lights, or keeping eyes on little ones so you can shop. Enlist help from Grandparents. They usually love to help and be a part of the magic making.
Don’t Forget About Yourself
When things get stressful the most important thing is take care of yourself. No one wants a cranky Mommy during Christmas. Taking time to reset to relieve stress will benefit you whole family’s mood. If the pressure of Christmas starts to weigh on you take some time to do something for yourself. Go take an afternoon to get a massage, take a walk, take a yoga class, or just a day “off” from Christmas. Relax!
Remember Your Reason Why
It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the chaos of the holidays . All the parties, events, gift giving, baking, and holiday cheer. Keeping the reason why you want to make holiday magic will help keep all the distractions at bay. If it’s a religious reason, bringing joy to you children on Christmas morning, or making new family traditions always keep that in your mind. If something is not bringing you joy or helping your reason why for the season then drop it and move on.
Enjoy the Holiday Magic
Last but not least ENJOY this special time of year. As the magic maker sometimes it’s easy to forget to have fun yourself. Remember you are making memories with your family. Take this time to be present with your kids and soak it in! Spend time together watching movies, looking at the neighborhood lights, and visiting Santa.
Ways to Enjoy a Stress Free Christmas
Hopefully these tips help you to enjoy a stress free Christmas. Being the magic maker can be overwhelming so use these tricks to help your family enjoy this special time of year.
To help keep you on track this holiday season check out this FREE Christmas Check To-Do check list. Print off and use this Christmas. No last minute rushing around for you! Download below.
Related articles
7 Simple and Easy Christmas Traditions for Kids
[…] old and new Christmas movies. Here are more than 50 great family movies to watch and stream at home. The ultimate list from Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and […]