4 Hints For Mom to Reduce Stress at Christmas

Christmas is a time of joy and family togetherness. It is also a time of stress for a lot of moms out there.

Parties to plan, shopping to do, presents to wrap, cooking, baking, visiting, decorating … and trying to do it all with the good cheer the season deserves.

And all too often it’s all up to Mom to get it done. Make sure all the gifts have been gotten, the cards signed and stamped, the batches of cookies marked nuts, no nuts, no chocolate for those who must be careful with their holiday treats.

It is too easy to get caught up in the duties of the holiday and for Mom to forget the little things, the truly important things, about Christmas. So, from one busy Mom to another, here are some ideas to help us all get through this holiday with good cheer and great memories.

1. Christmas is about the joy of a promise kept. Not about shopping, or wrapping paper, or festive tins to nestle home-made goodies into. It’s the joy of that quiet moment in the night when a Savior was born, and all the world paused in peace and wonder.

Take a moment for yourself, Mom, to relive that miracle and appreciate all it has brought into your life. Take that moment to know that the tree, the presents, the food, could all be swept away in a moment, but in the circle of your family, the joy of Christmas is in your love for one another.

2. A happy holiday is one shared with a happy family. Perfection exists only in the magazines and on television. In reality, the cookies might burn, the goose get dried out, the green bean casserole be forgotten.

Let some stuff go, Mom. Forget perfectly folded napkins on the table and silver-bell charms on the wineglasses. Simplify your goal for the holiday meal so that you too can enjoy the pleasures of the season, instead of worrying and working to try to make everything “perfect.”

3. Christmas means togetherness. Our close family, our extended families, we all gather together to celebrate another year of being family and sharing love as love was shared with us so long ago.

Don’t go it alone, Mom. Spread the joy of holiday preparations to your children, your brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, parents, in-laws, everyone. The smallest tot can bring napkins to the table while older kids decorate tree and home, and the cheerful voices of your family in the kitchen as they stir and sample and set up will free you to admire how well everything comes together.

4. The greatest presents are fond memories. Going crazy hunting for the perfect gift might only lead to disappointment when it turns out to not be so perfect after all. With everyone together and enjoying the Christmas spirit, the greatest gift is already there.

Grab the camera and the photo album, Mom. Have different people taking pictures as you all enjoy looking at past Christmas joys and other family treasures. Tell the stories that make the older folks laugh and the younger kids stare in amazement. Share your favorite holiday memories as you create a new one to share next year.

Remember:

It’s not about the shopping, the presents, the paper, the food. It’s about a promise kept on a cold winter night and the warmth of a happy family brought together to celebrate.

“Perfect” is impossible - but wonderful is easy if you can let go of the idea of perfect. And when everything is wonderful, your happy family will declare you have given them the perfect Christmas anyway!

And, finally, remember most of all:

After it is all over, and the mess of paper is shin-deep on the floor and the dirty dishes are stacked high in the sink, when everyone has gone home and the kids are asleep, and it is just you, Mom, and the aftermath of the get-together …

It was a single, small moment in a cold winter’s night that started it all. There was a mess on the floor and work waiting to be done then too. But none of that was important because of the tiny miracle of a promise kept.