Holiday Stress -Less Tips for Parents

The holidays can be a stressful time for parents. There is cleaning and baking, gift buying and making, visiting, partying and decorating. Whew! The holidays are a whirlwind of activity and quite often filled with unrealistic expectations.

Here are a few tips to help parents deal with holiday stress.

Rein in Your Expectations

No holiday in the history of civilization has ever gone perfectly, so if you’re expecting a Currier and Ives holiday…let it go. No matter how much you prepare, nothing ever comes off perfectly. Spills and squabbles and unwanted gifts are just a part of the season. Don't hold yourself or anyone else up to an unrealistic standard. Just take it all in, relax, have fun, and remember that the holiday season only comes around once a year, so try to find the humour in the mishaps and move on.

Delegate

Don’t try to do everything by yourself, this is a shared event. Does the house need cleaning or decorating? Let each family member be responsible for a room. You may have to lower your standards a little, but make your expectations clear and let your family take responsibility.

If you have older kids, try getting their help in the holiday preparations. The Christmas cookies might not be perfectly shaped and the office gifts might not have professional wrapping but your kids will feel great that you let them help. As a bonus, you’ll have some extra time for things you can’t delegate.

Reassess and Prioritize

Most of our lives are already overscheduled. When you start adding in visits from family, religious events, seasonal events and travel, it gets crazy. Do yourself and your family a favour…make plans carefully in advance and don’t be afraid to say no when you or your kids are overscheduled.

December always seems to be one continuous party and then January is a dead zone. If your scheduling a holiday bash, consider holding it in mid-January. This takes some of the pressure off of you, your guests will actually look forward to the idea of a party and you have the luxury of time to put it together.

Set Limits for College Kids.

Now is the time for many college students to come home for the holidays but this can wreak havoc on family routines. Your young adult has been on his own for months, doing things very differently. It’s not always easier to change back to the family routines and a lot of the time they just don’t think about it. When they arrive home, after you’ve welcomed them back, gently remind them of the house rules and your expectations but also be aware that your child is now an independent adult that won’t take kindly to 11 pm curfews or having their time scheduled. Everyone is going to have to compromise during the visit.
Above all be thankful that they still want to come home.

Count Your Blessings

Some people find the holiday season stressful because it seems robbed of its authentic meaning. Instead they seem to be bombarded with crass commercialism, surly shoppers, angry drivers and invitations to events they don’t really want to go to.

One antidote is to take the time and effort to reaffirm what this season really means to you, whether it’s about family, community or religion. Consider helping someone in need to help yourself reaffirm what it’s all about. Or maybe set aside 10 minutes with your family and go through all the good things that have happened this year. Human nature often dwells on the down side of life, but when you look at your blessings, the big and the small, it raises hope that other good things will come.

So as you prepare for the big day, remember there’s no such thing as perfection in real life. Take the day as is it comes, don’t sweat the small stuff and find the humorous side to the days little mishaps.

Find your funny bone and keep smiling.

I hope you all have a Joyous and Safe Holiday Season. Remember…the best is yet to come! Happy New Year.