You think that I have lost my marbles thinking that I can have a Stress-Free Christmas. Well, my mind is still intact and we have enjoyed a lot of Stress-Free Christmases in the past few years. I thought this would be a great idea to share some of the experiences I've learned in helping to reduce the stress during the holiday seasons.
AFTER WAKING IN THE MORNING, READ GODS WORD EVERY
Reading Gods Word seems to be the first obvious task every mom should do, but we sometimes forget that. I need to hear from Him & talk to Him everyday so I am invigorated to be the mom that He wants me to be. During mealtime, we do our family devotions and jumpstart our kids' day on the proper footing as well. Each of my children know that they are to read the Bible after waking up. There are times ,of course, that one of them needs a little more reminding than usual.
DON'T DO EVERY ACTIVITY THAT COMES ALONG
This seems quite evident, but it took me a decade to apply this. Actually, my marvelous husband helped me learn how to minimize the activity in our lives during the Christmas season.
Back then, I wanted the kids to experience everything that is Christmas. It seems what happened is that I began to harbor uneasiness that would usually blow up around Christmas Eve. ('Im sure nobody has experienced this.)
WHICH ACTIVITIES DO I PICK
What works for us is to pick only 1 or at most 2 Christmas activities or gatherings to attend outside our home. The others we do at home. This is one of the best stress reducers and I am not "forcing" my husband to go to one more Christmas activity every week. He's still working all day to provide for our family. Instead of being tired and grouchy, he is much happier going to fewer activities and enjoying the company of his relatives and friends.
We enjoy having other people in our home, so we take advantage on this. Our kids help in the cleaning and cooking, so our workload is minimized and I feel stressed when our visitors come.
HAVE FUN AT HOME
Back then, I would had more activities for us than we have time for. In our recent Thanksgiving weekend, I picked which activities will wait until next year.
REMEMBER: YOU CANT DO EVERY THING, EVERY YEAR.
I try to select activities that help my children to think of others, instead of themselves during Christmas. What we have done in the past is raise money for a missionary family. My kids would take orders for loaves of pumpkin bread and cookies. After baking and delivering them to their waiting customers, they would pay me back for the materials used. The rest of the money is used to buy games and toys that can be used by the needy.
This season we will have other kids over to bake cookies so their moms can do some Christmas shopping, uninterrupted. A Christmas card stamping party for younger kids would be a great idea for an activity. Im still thinking it over how that will work.
I have some other ideas that are included in Celebrate Advent, Christmas & Epiphany Advent, Christmas & Epiphany Celebration Ideas
LIVEN UP SCHOOL WITH CHRISTMAS
For those of you who homeschool, lessen some of the formal academics and enjoy these times. As we bake, shop and prepare for Christs birthday, we are also doing math and writing and reading with these activities.
At our house, we still read aloud each morning and then work on a Christmas project. This may include handwork type crafts or other quiet projects.
FEELING OVERBURDENED DURING THE HOLIDAYS? Pause right now and rank each activity according to importance. Then, choose only 1 or 2 activities that the whole family will love and do the rest another time.
Enjoy your family being at home. Have another family over to roast marshmallows and enjoy the fellowship. Most of all, keep your eyes focused on Jesus Christ. Without His love for the world, you would not be celebrating the true reason for Christmas.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8 - 15266
AFTER WAKING IN THE MORNING, READ GODS WORD EVERY
Reading Gods Word seems to be the first obvious task every mom should do, but we sometimes forget that. I need to hear from Him & talk to Him everyday so I am invigorated to be the mom that He wants me to be. During mealtime, we do our family devotions and jumpstart our kids' day on the proper footing as well. Each of my children know that they are to read the Bible after waking up. There are times ,of course, that one of them needs a little more reminding than usual.
DON'T DO EVERY ACTIVITY THAT COMES ALONG
This seems quite evident, but it took me a decade to apply this. Actually, my marvelous husband helped me learn how to minimize the activity in our lives during the Christmas season.
Back then, I wanted the kids to experience everything that is Christmas. It seems what happened is that I began to harbor uneasiness that would usually blow up around Christmas Eve. ('Im sure nobody has experienced this.)
WHICH ACTIVITIES DO I PICK
What works for us is to pick only 1 or at most 2 Christmas activities or gatherings to attend outside our home. The others we do at home. This is one of the best stress reducers and I am not "forcing" my husband to go to one more Christmas activity every week. He's still working all day to provide for our family. Instead of being tired and grouchy, he is much happier going to fewer activities and enjoying the company of his relatives and friends.
We enjoy having other people in our home, so we take advantage on this. Our kids help in the cleaning and cooking, so our workload is minimized and I feel stressed when our visitors come.
HAVE FUN AT HOME
Back then, I would had more activities for us than we have time for. In our recent Thanksgiving weekend, I picked which activities will wait until next year.
REMEMBER: YOU CANT DO EVERY THING, EVERY YEAR.
I try to select activities that help my children to think of others, instead of themselves during Christmas. What we have done in the past is raise money for a missionary family. My kids would take orders for loaves of pumpkin bread and cookies. After baking and delivering them to their waiting customers, they would pay me back for the materials used. The rest of the money is used to buy games and toys that can be used by the needy.
This season we will have other kids over to bake cookies so their moms can do some Christmas shopping, uninterrupted. A Christmas card stamping party for younger kids would be a great idea for an activity. Im still thinking it over how that will work.
I have some other ideas that are included in Celebrate Advent, Christmas & Epiphany Advent, Christmas & Epiphany Celebration Ideas
LIVEN UP SCHOOL WITH CHRISTMAS
For those of you who homeschool, lessen some of the formal academics and enjoy these times. As we bake, shop and prepare for Christs birthday, we are also doing math and writing and reading with these activities.
At our house, we still read aloud each morning and then work on a Christmas project. This may include handwork type crafts or other quiet projects.
FEELING OVERBURDENED DURING THE HOLIDAYS? Pause right now and rank each activity according to importance. Then, choose only 1 or 2 activities that the whole family will love and do the rest another time.
Enjoy your family being at home. Have another family over to roast marshmallows and enjoy the fellowship. Most of all, keep your eyes focused on Jesus Christ. Without His love for the world, you would not be celebrating the true reason for Christmas.
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8 - 15266
About the Author:
Kerry Beck gives free advent calendars with daily Christmas activities to prepare your family for Christmas. Your family will discover more about Christmas around the world with many of the daily projects.
