Navigating the Holidays With Kids

December 2, 2019 in Family & Life

From November 1st to January 1st I am normally at my busiest. As a mom of four, freelancer, business owner combined with all of my other hats, the holiday season is the time of the year when there isn’t a single day that goes by where I can find myself actually relaxing.

It’s evident how busy I am just by the looks on my kid’s faces when they ask me to watch a Christmas movie with them or a football game on television.

This year I decided that I wanted to try and take a much time as possible with my family, even though this is the time of year when my work piles up.

Of course, this means some crafty and proactive prioritizing on my part. Something that I admit that I have never been good at.

If you are as busy as I am here are a few tips to keep your work/shopping/everything on-time and complete, while not sacrificing family-time.

Prioritize

I normally know what I have to do, and when it’s due at least one month in advance (sometimes I may have just a week notice, but that is rare). I sit down and make a list of everything, and prioritize what needs to be done immediately.

I don’t just stop at work either. This includes shopping, family and school functions, my husband’s office Christmas party as well. It’s important to remember that you don’t have to participate in every single event that comes your way during the holidays. I love a good cookie swap just as much as the next, however, if it doesn’t fit into the schedule, we don’t go.

Once you have everything written down and organized, cross off items that you just aren’t into doing (or that you can’t do). This may free up time to do other things that may have thought you would miss out on (like the cookie swap).

Try and stock up the kitchen as much as possible

I already make frequent trips to grocery store, but the last two months of the year it seems that it’s always amplified. Why? Because someone is always forgetting something. Whether it’s bringing treats to a class party, or making cornbread dressing for a family function, I find myself making daily (sometimes twice daily) trips to the grocery store.

Try and stock up your kitchen ahead of time with items that you know you will need. This means if you know you will be baking, make sure you have flour, sugar, baking powder, corn starch, etc; readily available. Worried about the last minute office or class party? Try and keep items around that you would normally make to send. My husband always takes the same thing every year so I know what to buy and I will often freeze it until it’s time to cook for his party.