Everyone seems stressed this time of year so I thought we would talk about a few things to help.
1. Manage your expectations. If you expect your house, tree, food all to be Pinterest worthy you will be upset when it doesn't happen.
2. Don't worry about what everyone else thinks or is doing. It's ok if your house is the only one on the street without a large light display.
Let's talk about what creates memories for kids and how to do it simply.
1. Kids remember certain decorations (especially ones that they made). There is no need to put up all your decorations if you don't want to -- ask them to put up the ones that mean the most to them.
2. They remember things that happen year after year -- holiday rituals and routines. Ask your kids what is important to them and limit what you schedule to what their answer is. We did breakfast with Santa with the kids for years. It turns out they enjoyed making Christmas cookies and having pizza on Christmas Eve more.
3. The most memorable holidays are the ones where things go wrong. It doesn't seem funny at the time but it will be talked about for years.
4. Kids like the simple things. Spend the day in pajamas playing board games and drinking eggnog and hot chocolate. They also like holiday movies, books, puzzles, crafts.
5. Consider using convenience services. Certainly we all use Amazon but consider ordering your groceries online. If holiday cooking is stressing you out then use a prepared meal from a grocery store or restaurant or even go out to eat. Your kids are only going to eat half a roll and 3 bites off mashed potato so they are not likely to tell the difference!
I hope this helps you out and that everyone enjoys the holidays.
No comments:
Post a Comment