Parenting tips for surviving the holidays

 Tis the season to be jolly! Christmas is a time for fun, get-togethers, and celebrating the silly season, but as many parents know, it’s also a time for stress. There’s a lot of planning and spending that goes into Christmas time, but it doesn’t have to be a stress-fest. We’re sharing our tips for stressing less this silly season and having more fun. We've created a list of self-care tips for all parents to survive the added stressors of this Christmas season! Here they are :

1.Make a list, check it twice

Make a list of all the gifts you need to buy, events that are happening, and parties you have to go to, and make sure everything is out on the paper, in the diary and not whirling around in your head.

You’ll feel so much lighter, and 100% more organised. Then you can start working through what you have to do in smaller lots, making everything much more manageable.

2. Ensure you have sufficient down time

Attending so many events can become overwhelming, it might be a time where you look at the critical events, what are the events you must attend.

Does everyone in the family need to attend each event? What times do they start? Can one parent attend an event without the other. Ensure dinners are easy and eaten early, limit events to limit sensory overload.

3. Book a babysitter in advance for Christmas parties and make time for yourself

Christmas is prime season for get-togethers and celebrations, so lock in your sitters early so you’re not hunting for childcare at the last minute. You can book a babysitter through Kiddo in all the capital cities and holiday locations, so you can snap up your babysitter early and focus on having fun with friends and family.

4. Shop economically

Saving money is always a good idea. With sales happening all the way up to Christmas now, it’s a great opportunity to snap up a bargain, and spend less this silly season. The best way to not miss a sale is to subscribe to your favourite shop’s emails so you’re the first to know when a sale starts. Reverting to your gift list will help you also stick to a budget.

With just about every retailer offering online shopping/delivery – take advantage of this, especially if means you can avoid shops, crowds and car parking nightmares.

5. Have a wrap party

Forget Christmas Eve stress wrap sessions, and take an afternoon with your favourite movie, and get your wrap on. Ask your partner to take the kids out, or ask grandparents to take them for the night. Even book a babysitter from the Kiddo App to take the kids to the park for a few hours, and you can smash through all the wrapping stress-free.

  6. Ask for help, and actually accept it

Are you hosting Christmas lunch this year? Don’t feel like you have to do it all. Assign jobs for everyone. An idea we love is writing out on post-it notes everything that needs doing, including tasks like ‘set the table’ or ‘top the pavlova’ and put them all on the fridge. When people come in and ask, “How can I help?” point to the post-it notes and tell them to pick one, so they can get straight to helping with what they choose. Brilliant, right?

 7. Set a non-negotiable or two

Time flies when you’re juggling all the Christmas baubles, so set some non-negotiables for Christmas time. If you love a beach swim on Christmas Day, set it as a non-negotiable. Then whatever happens on Christmas Day, you’ll need to have a dip in the ocean at some point. Perhaps you love a peaceful Boxing Day, so say it how you want it. Tell people that Boxing Day is reserved for resetting and doing nothing so all invitations will be (politely) declined.

Need some more ideas for managing school holidays care - check out this article.