Just Chillax! 10 Tips for Calming Holiday Chaos

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 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 out who you will be giving to a make a list,then divide that by the dollar amount you can afford to spend. Do you really need to buy your coworkers or your kids’ and teachers gifts from the mall, or would they be just as happy with a plate of cookies or a card?

Keep your usual schedule when you can.

Keep routines in place whenever possible. Both for you and the kids! Children thrive on routine and although there will some upset in nap and dinner schedules, try to schedule activities around the kids. Your routine is important too! From the cup of coffee consumed in peace while reading the news before the household awakes to dipping into a favorite novel at bedtime, routines keep parents sane, too.

Minimize the cooking.

The holiday dinner can be a huge stressor, especially if you are the cook! Consider purchasing a prepped, readyto-cook holiday dinner with all the trimmings at your local grocery store. Most major chains off a variety of meals such as ham, turkey or prime rib, often for as much (or less!) that you would pay when buying the ingredients to cook your own. You can still make Grandma’s special pie recipe or your families traditional stuffing to go with the meal, but think of how much easier the holiday will be if that is all you make from scratch!

Divide and conquer the shopping.

Make a list and coordinate with your spouse. When the Christmas rush is on, it’s so easy to forget to buy for someone on your list, or forget what you’ve already purchased and buy too much. Divide and conquer!

Trim the card list.

Are you still sending holiday cards to your friend from college who you haven’t heard from since graduation? Or do you get a batch of “no longer at this address” cards back in your mailbox every year? Cut your card list to those who you really want to communicate with to save both time and postage.

Speaking of postage…

There is nothing wrong with electronic cards, especially if you are short on time and money. Folks really just want to know that you are well and see pictures of the kids. Sending a general greeting that includes pics of the kids is easy and free.

By doing even a few of these things, you can simplify and smooth your holiday season this year. Maybe you can even enjoy it!

Tiffany Doerr Guerzon is a freelance writer and the mother of three children. Her work has been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul, the Christian Science Monitor, Brain, Child, Motherly and over 70 regional parenting magazines across the US and Canada.