Feature
x a l l i h Just C 10 Tips for Calming Holiday Chaos By Tiffany Doerr Guerzon
The holidays are supposed to be a magical time of family togetherness and love. But so often--especially for parents of young children--the holidays end up being stressful instead of joyful. The inevitable stretched budgets, packed calendars, and over stimulation can be a recipe for disaster. But with a little planning and preparation, you can minimize frustration and maximize joy this year.
Think about what you really want. Sit down with a pen and paper and write down your vision of an ideal holiday. Not the presents you hope to give or receive, but what you want to experience and feel. Is it a joyful feeling when your kids open their gifts? Is it a warm, peaceful feeling of cuddling with the kids in front of the tree? Or maybe you just want a special sit down dinner with extended family? Once you have an idea of what will make you happy during the holidays, try to plan for it. Trim that schedule! Oh how quickly that calendar fills starting in November, especially if you have more than one child. Look over the invitations and see if there are any you can decline.Get older kids involved in planning family outings to narrow down what is important for each family member. Then, review what you usually do during the season. Has seeing The Nutcracker been a tradition, but now your kids are no longer interested? Replace that outing with something everyone will enjoy. Once you’ve figured out what everyone wants to 6
Our Kids Magazine | November 2018
do, block out a few days or evenings in which you can stay home. Mark those on your calendar as you would any other required event. Use that time to recharge.
Eat well. When life gets hectic, healthy eating is often the first thing to go-- quickly followed by dropping blood sugar and rising stress levels! If you have time, prepare a few meals to keep in the freezer for those nights you are too tired to cook. Or, before you hit the drive-thru of a fast food restaurant (again) consider instead picking up a rotisserie chicken and a bag of steamable veggies from the grocery store. December might even be the perfect time to try out a meal service such as Blue Apron. Pack snacks--for both you and the kids. Fill a bag with non perishable snacks and bottled water and put it in the car for the inevitable time you get stuck in traffic and you or the kids get hungry. Choose convenience whenever possible. Is it really necessary to bake cookies from scratch for decorating when refrigerated dough is readily available? Will your kids remember decorating cookies with you or that you made the dough from scratch? Make a gift budget. I know, easier said than done. But making and sticking to a budget will make your new year much less stressful. Figure LIKE US @ facebook.com/OurKidsMagazineSA