Christmas can be a magical time, but also a stressful time for parents – so here are seven expert tips on how to make the build-up to the 25th, and the big day itself, more enjoyable and less exhausting.
Parenting expert, Cameron Appel, at iCandy says “Whilst it might feel like other parents are juggling a billion and one jobs with ease, the reality is, a lot of parents feel overwhelmed by the pressure.”
“It’s not just organising all the presents and hosting on Christmas day either, there’s sorting costumes for school nativities, decorating the house, sending Christmas cards, navigating family politics – there’s also an ever-growing list of new traditions like Elf on the Shelf, Christmas eve boxes, magical movie nights and festive baking sessions with the kids. There’s a lot going on in December, and that’s all before you make it to the main day itself.” Continued the parenting expert.
Cameron added “It’s easy for parents to get caught up in the expectations and pressures that come with providing their family with the ‘perfect Christmas’. With so much to juggle (and budget for), parents can be left feeling anxious, worried and stressed – especially whilst trying to remain cool and composed for their children, family and friends.”
To help parents manage their anxiety levels in the build-up to Christmas Day, parenting experts at iCandy have shared their top tips on how to combat festive anxiety – many of which you can start now to ease the pressure throughout December.
1. Brain Dump and Create a Plan of Action – Often, one of the biggest causes of anxiety is when we have a million and one jobs buzzing around in our heads. If you spend a few minutes writing out all the key tasks and jobs that need to happen, you’ll instantly feel lighter and less stressed as you won’t need to use as much energy to simply remember everything. If you use something like Google Sheets, you can share the list with your partner and then assign tasks between you, so you also ensure the planning and organisation jobs are shared equally between you.
2. Do Less Not More – there are so many fun events you can go to in December, like Christmas markets, pantomimes, Christmas workshops, light displays and the list goes on and on. Whilst it might feel like you’re not fully embracing Christmas if you don’t go to every single one, this is a sure-fire way to burn out before the big day. Set a limit on the number of pre-Christmas events you go to, for example, three, and get your kids to choose the three they’d love to go to the most.
3. Make An Elf On The Shelf Plan – gone are the days when the only Christmas tradition was leaving out mince pies and carrots for Santa. Now, there’s Elf On The Shelf and Christmas Eve Boxes and there’s also pressure to create your own bespoke traditions just for your family. One solid option to reduce anxiety is to decide on one or two traditions that you’re going to do, and no more. If you do want to do Elf on The Shelf, a great way to reduce anxiety from having to think up new elf-inspired disasters each and every evening is to create a plan of everything the elf will do on each day, so all the thinking is done ahead of time.
4. Make Time For Exercise. Blocking out time for exercise can work wonders for your mental health and anxiety levels. It doesn’t have to be anything too strenuous either – a gentle walk outside, whilst getting some fresh air can be just the thing to calm the mind. This can also really benefit the whole family, so grab the kids, make sure the little ones are wrapped up warm in their pram and get everyone outside together. If the weather’s miserable, try sticking on some festive tunes and dance around the house together – you’d be surprised how much of an endorphin boost you can get from having a merry boogie around the room.
5. Disconnect From Technology. Technology can make our lives easier at Christmas in some ways – ordering presents online, researching recipes and ordering the Christmas food shop delivery. But, social media, when it’s full of snippets from everyone else’s holiday plans and festive frolics, can be a lot to handle. Constant scrolling means cortisol and adrenaline flood your brain which leads to more stress and mental and physical exhaustion. So, limiting screen time can be a great way to bring some relief to a busy, overstimulated mind. Also, remember that not everything on social media is real, so try not to compare yourself to everything you see. Make time for calming activities – this could be simply reading a book – or meditation is a great way to ground yourself and feel calmer and you can do it in just a few minutes, so it’s easy to slot into a busy schedule.
6. Set A Spending Limit And Stick To It – One of the biggest stress factors of Christmas is the cost of everything. From the presents to the decorations and the food and drink for the day itself. It’s easy to get carried away and it’s easy to overspend. If you set a budget for key elements, like presents, decorations, food and festive events, this will help to reduce anxiety from things starting to snowball out of control.
7. Delegate, Delegate, Delegate On the Big Day – To reduce the burden of hosting on the day itself, divvy out tasks to the kids and get them excited about their responsibility by giving each job a fun title, for example, ‘Chief Coat Officer’ making them in charge of putting all guest’s coats upstairs when they arrive for example. You can also incentivise each task to really motivate them.
Cameron Appel from iCandy adds “With so much going on over the next month, it’s so easy to get swept up into a festive frenzy and feel like you must go above and beyond for your family. Especially with social media making us feel like we need to keep up with the latest trends. Whilst of course, you want to make this time of year as magical as possible for your children, it’s important you make sure you look after yourself so you can enjoy it too.”
