Anyone else feeling the inevitable pressures of the holiday season? Apparently, the stress levels that most people endure this time of year are greater than their level of enjoyment. That's not cool, man.
This time every year, I think to myself just how much I would like to get done:
- mail Christmas cards with a picture of the kids/family
- bake Christmas cookies for family, friends, and neighbors
- make a gingerbread house
- put up a tree and decorate
- put lights up
- wrap gifts ahead of time so all I have to do is put them out Christmas Eve
and the list goes on!
Realistically, will I get it all done? Probably not. At least not without the help of others. To start checking off the list, my husband put up the tree and we collectively decorated it as a family. Well, other than Rhyleigh, that is. She was napping at the time!
By the way, does anyone else's tree look like they forgot to finish it around the bottom? I heard that a lot of people who have cats don't hang their ornaments low on the tree or else their little paws will get hold of them. But what about toddlers? Those stinkers will look you dead in the eye as you tell them, "Don't do it," and they will swat it or yank it off without ever breaking eye contact. *cough cough* Rhyleigh!
He also put the lights up outside while I stayed inside to watch the girls. So check two off the list!
I had wanted to set up a little photoshoot with the girls since this is their first Christmas as a trio, but we just ran out of time! It led me to wonder, how do people make the time to do that? Especially with three kids! Do you just schedule it and say, 'Okay, no matter what happens, we are doing this photoshoot!'?
I've come to accept the fact that the Christmas cards are probably not getting out this year...but that's okay! I don't beat myself up over it. That's what email and social media are for. And I imagine with how often people tell me 'you must have your hands full' that they understand why we aren't able to send anything out.
My strategy with the cookie making is to have Charlotte and Rhyleigh help me cut and decorate while Gary watches the baby. Or I can whip out the handy Cuddle Bug wrap. That thing is a godsend! I will be writing a blog about my love for that product in the near future.
It is hard because I, like a lot of others, fall victim to the holiday pressure. The pressure to do so much. But over the last few years, I have really tried to push myself to enjoy and live in the moment, and not worry about exactly what has to get done next. And if you don't get something done, like baking cookies or writing out your cards, the world will not end. Trust me, I haven't completed some of these things for so many years in a row, and the world has not ended!
Another aspect of the holiday stress is that my husband is a first responder, so he is required to work some holidays. You (somewhat) get used to it after a while, but it never does not suck. In order to make it fun for the kids, I always check with him to see if he wants me to save some of the gifts so he can see the kids open them up when he gets home. He always tells me he doesn't mind either way, but I save a couple to make sure he doesn't feel left out.
For anyone else who may be in a similar situation or might be a single parent on Christmas, just know this...There is no strict way you need to celebrate your Christmas! Or any other holiday for that matter. You do what is right for your family. Nobody wrote a rulebook on Christmas that says you have to sit around the tree Christmas morning and open every single gift in sight. And if there is actually a rule book out there, it needs to get burnt in a fire...If you need to, you can do all that on Christmas Eve, or even the day after depending on everyone's schedules. And no one said you have to have Christmas dinner every year at your house. Don't want people over late? Have lunch. Don't want people over at all? Don't do anything at your house! You never know, it could be the beginning of a really great family tradition!
I would love to hear some ways you plan in order to get some of your holiday tasks done. Let us know in the comments!
And if there are ways you make sure that you and your family are fully present in the moment, let us know those strategies too!
All in all, I just wanted to let you know that if you are feeling overwhelmed and/or stressed this holiday season, you are most certainly NOT ALONE Mama!
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