Well, it’s That Time again. Are you ready? Or are you filled with dread at trying to create the perfect holiday season, school your children and maintain your sanity? If you’re like me, every year you vow that this year will be different. This will be the year when December passes by peacefully slow, everything gets done and nobody says, “That’s it! Christmas is ruined!”
Much has already been written all over the Internet, in books and magazines about how to save your holidays, but I’d like to share some things that I do to make this time of year more peaceful and holy.
Examine Your Priorities
First, sit down and make a list of those holiday traditions that you can’t live without. Not the ones that you feel obligated to do, but those things that really matter. Only write down those traditions that really make you smile, that really capture the season for you. Ask your husband to do the same, and ask your children, too. You will probably be surprised at the things that don’t make the list. Eliminate those things and don’t feel guilty. For my family, the children really enjoy the Advent Calendar my mother made for me when I was about 4 or 5 years old. My husband lists lighting the Advent Wreath as his favorite. For me, I like to listen to Christmas music every day and bake (and eat!) Christmas cookies. We all enjoy having a Christmas tree and lights on our house. Doesn’t that sound blissfully simple? Add the presents and our celebration is complete. Anything else we do is just a bonus!
Start Early and Set Deadlines
Now you’ve got a list of those holiday traditions that your family can’t live without. Go ahead a write down some things that might be nice to do, if you have the time. Grab your calendar and actually schedule time to accomplish these things. On my family’s must-do list is the Advent Wreath and calendar, decorating the Christmas tree and putting up outdoor lights. I like to get the tree and lights up during Thanksgiving weekend. I used to really resist rushing the season by putting the tree up so early, but I found that having it done early led to a greater sense of peace. The wreath and calendar need to be ready very early in the season, too. So as long as we’re getting out lights and decorations, we might as well decorate the rest of the house.
Decorating the house with Santas and snowmen and wreaths (oh my!) is on our “these would be nice, too” list. If it gets done – yay! If not, that’s OK and I’m not going to fret about it. I give myself until the end of the first full week in December to finish up the decorating. I usually get it done faster, though, because I like to get the boxes out of the house.
I give myself until December 15th to finish any handmade gifts. I like to start my Christmas cards by the 10th and finish by the 16th. I bake cookies from the 21st through the 23rd. Somewhere in there, it depends on what the calendar looks like, I wrap all the presents.
Setting deadlines really helps me to stay on task, especially for those multi-day projects like addressing and signing cards. (A side note about cards: If I miss my deadlines for Christmas cards, I send out New Year’s cards instead!)
Be Flexible
Even with the lists, scheduling and deadlines, I remain flexible. Life gets in the way and you’ve got to deal with it the best you can. Remember that “must do” list? Stay focused on those few things and cut yourself some slack. You want your children to have a happy and calm mother who rejoices in the season, not some crazed woman who beats herself up over her failure to produce the perfect holiday!
Oh yes, school
How much school we do in December depends on when Christmas falls during the week. I like to keep going with our school work until about December 15th. After that we might drop everything but math and language arts and read Christmas stories instead of history or maybe we’ll work on Christmas art projects until the Friday before Christmas. Then we take a break until after the New Year. But again with the flexibility – if a lot of opportunities start coming up, like parties or caroling, we scale back on school. It’s no big deal to double up on reading assignments in frigid January so that we can enjoy more holiday fun in December.
Plan for next year
No doubt you’ve seen holiday craft and decorating shows or have read blogs bursting with holiday ideas. When I see something I’d like to do, I make note of it for next year. If it’s from a website, I print it out and add it to my holiday notebook. I pull out articles and pictures from magazines, too. My holiday notebook is just a green binder with sheet protectors. One year I wrote down my Thanksgiving menu, shopping list and timetable, then added those to my notebook. I have a Christmas baking shopping list in there, too. If it’s related to holiday celebrations, I stick it in my notebook.
Above all remember that you can’t and shouldn’t even try to do it all. Stick to the “must do” list. Start early and make deadlines that you can work with. Don’t try to over do it with school. Remain flexible. Don’t be tempted by great crafts and recipes – file them away to try next year.
So what do YOU do to tame the holiday season?
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Lorri is an Army wife, currently stationed with her husband of 16 years and their 4 children in Washington, DC. When she’s not sipping eggnog and listening to Christmas music, she blogs at The Mac and Cheese Chronicles.
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What a great article…Thanks!