The holiday season is full of festive fun and realistically, tons of added stress, especially for parents. Learn five tips for managing stress to be the best parent, partner, and family member you can be during the holidays. 

Set realistic expectations

Attending parties: 

Before heading to events, have a mini household meeting to remind everyone who will be there, what the behavior expectations are, and what departure time looks like. This helps keep Mom and Dad and children all on the same page and makes everyone feel like part of “the plan.”

Time management: 

When heading to a party, allow double or triple the time it would normally take to get everyone dressed and out the door. You can always drive around looking at Christmas lights if you find yourselves with extra time on your hands. 

Manage perfectionistic tendencies

Be wary of comparing your family to those you see on social media or tv commercials depicting perfect family moments. Friendly reminder: these highly-staged scenarios are not real life. Keep your hopes high but your expectations low and you might be pleasantly surprised with how everything turns out. 

Same thing goes for trying to recreate the Christmas experiences you had as a child for your own family. Financially, you can focus less on gifts and more on experiences by going ice skating, to a museum, or taking a walk in the snow. 

List your priorities

Determine your #1 priority. Make decisions based on this #1 priority throughout the season. Let’s say your priority is to keep everyone safe and hope for a few moments of great conversation with an elderly relative. If you have young children, this may mean planning ahead for non-baby-proofed homes with extra toys, healthy snacks, etc. and coordinating with another family member to tag-team watching over little ones to help you have those sacred conversations. 

Deescalate drama

If there is one thing almost every family is bound to experience during the holidays, it’s some sort of conflict or drama. If you plan Plan on chaos. Remember ways to deal with it such as stepping outside, going into another room without the rest of the family there, taking deep cleansing breaths, etc. 

Set yourself up for success by practicing self-care

This is the most important tip for parents and really for everyone. In a previous post, we outlined seemingly simple principles for everyday holistic health including ensuring proper hydration, consumption of fruits and vegetables, adequate sleep, exercise, and more. Additionally, by taking some time to journal, talk with a therapist, or reflect on your stress/anxiety triggers, you can increase your self-awareness and take steps to avoid burnout and manage triggers before they occur. 

What tips would you add to our list? Let us know on Instagram!