4 Holiday Hacks for Parents

 

 

I have so many new first-time parents in my life, it's so very wonderful.  And with the holiday hustle in full swing, I felt it appropriate to post a few "parent holiday hacks" in order to help put things into perspective in this time of Christmas chaos.  Below are a few parenting tips for the big night and the days leading up.

1. Narrow Down the Holiday Activities

Photo Courtesy of Red Mum

It's so hard to cram so many Holiday family activities into such a short time. There are between 27 and 33 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  You get one extra day for Kwanzaa, and significantly less for Hanukkah.  So it is impossible to wedge in every expected event: making cookies, decorating the house, drive around to see the lights, seeing a holiday program, charity events, white elephant parties, pictures with Santa, and on, and on, and on...
The short answer is: you don't have to.  Traditions you start with your kids are meant to be special and memorable.  And there's nothing memorable about shoving 10 pounds of anything into a 5 pound sack.  

• Pick one activity that you feel your clan can easily accomplish every year, and make it your family tradition.  It's great to be able to say in years to come "No matter what else get's done, we always___."  For our family, it's making a gingerbread house. We may or may not get to the holiday parade, perhaps attend a show, often times make cookies, but we always buy one of those store kits and struggle around the kitchen table for an hour to produce some of the ugliest cookie shacks you'll ever encounter.  And they are always beautiful memories.
• Allow for other family members to share in your kid's holiday activities.   Let Grandma decorate this year's cookies with the kiddos while you get some shopping done.  Or perhaps Auntie can take her favorite niece to see Santa. This is a great way for your children to spend quality time with the other family members that are important to them.

 

 2. Simplify Stocking Stuffers

"I spend as much time and money on the stocking stuffers as I do gifts." 

Give similar stocking stuffers
every year

Ok, so this might be a bit of an exaggeration, but during holiday crunch time it sometimes feels like it. So get a game plan together.  One way to do this is to make the stocking gifts a tradition of similar gifts every year, saving you the mind-turmoil of what to get and how much. This method could also be used on one or multiple days of Hanukkah or Kwanzaa.  It may sound ridiculous to give the same gifts every year, but you may find that your family begins to forward to it. For example: you could fill each stocking with a piece of fruit like an apple or orange, chocolate coins, lip balm, and socks.  Whatever you decide, your kids could enjoy the custom and memory of similar gifts from year to year.
 

3.  Share Your Wrapping Paper with Santa

Have you said these words, "We have to make sure to use separate wrapping paper for Santa gifts" ? No need to worry about keeping separate rolls of wrapping paper just for presents from the Big Guy.

  There's an easy way around this one and be able to wrap any gift with any paper.  When it's time to set out the cookies and milk for Santa, also have your child(ren) help set out your stash of wrapping paper.  Explain that you're leaving it out so Santa can wrap gifts when he arrives. We've always done this with great success.
 

4. Preventing Christmas Eve Night Owls 

It's midnight on the 24th. You've finally gotten home from a day of last minute shopping, prep for the following day's feast, and a candlelight church service.  You've nestled the children all snug in their beds and hope that sugarplums begin dancing in their heads.....NOPE!  And now you still have 2 hours of bicycle assembly ahead of you and an anxious 5 year old pacing the floor...what to do? Here are some preventative steps.

Have Elf on a Shelf help with keeping
you little ones wrangled on Christmas Eve

 

• Wake them up early on Christmas Eve. This will make them even more tired.
• Schedule an outdoor activity on Christmas Eve for them: sledding, caroling, ice fishing, or delivering cookies around the neighborhood.
• Don't yell and talk excitedly about Christmas. This will only raise their excitement and lower their chances of going to sleep.
• Promise them that you'll wake them up very early on Christmas Day. Go to bed with them and talk softly discussing plans for next day.
• Schedule a time to open presents. This will give the kids something specific to look forward to and keep them from springing out of bed at 4 AM. "Let's open gifts at 7AM"
• Before going to sleep, you might want to let them open one gift each on the night of Christmas Eve to ease a bit of the anxiety.

 
Tell me what your tips and tricks are for aiding the Holiday season with children.  And here's hoping you and yours have a safe, and wonderful Holiday Season this year and years to come!