One holiday down, two to go! We’ve barely made it past Halloween and I’m already dreading what’s to come.
I know what you mean. ? It makes me start to sweat just thinking about it. The shopping, the traveling…
Ugh! The shopping! ?? That isn’t even on my radar yet.
Forget about that – Think about the cooking! Pies! Cookies! I can’t wait! But I know what you mean! All this can be so stressful.
I love the holidays, but ever since having kids they have become far more stressful. I want them to experience everything the holidays have to offer, but I struggle with finding a balance between packing a big holiday punch verses totally overscheduling us and becoming super stressed.
I think it’s a major challenge for all moms. We want it to be special, but not crazy. There is a fine line…
I know! I want to do the volunteer opportunities, and the lights displays, and the Christmas crafts, and the nativity displays, and the mall Santa, and the gingerbread houses, and the cookie decorating, and the….well, you get the point ?. ???
That is one long list! Did you check it twice?
Haha!?
There is definitely an overwhelming number of ways to spend your time during the holidays.
And all it does is leave me drained and in need of a vacation.? ☀️
Yes, it should be the other way around, right? It seems the holidays should BE the vacation.
That would be nice. I feel like I need to take a big step back this year. I want to honor God with my choices for my family this holiday season, and I know being stressed and overwhelmed is not what He wants for me.
It sounds like you want His peace in the midst of chaos! Reminds me of that first Christmas!!
Absolutely! And I want my kids to experience that peace! ?
I’m attempting to get my three-year-old more involved in planning this year. Instead of planning activities that I think he might enjoy, I want him to have a say in what we do.
That’s a great idea! You could even pray together about it first?
Good idea! I will try that! I asked him today what he thought would be nice to do for other people and he told me we should make a birthday cake for the policemen and firefighters, “even though it’s not their birthday.” ?
Aww, that is so sweet! I bet it will mean more to him too, since it was his idea. Kids are so smart and creative!
I’m sure I’ll discover that the kids don’t need a perfectly planned out holiday season to enjoy themselves. And I’d rather have them walk away from the holidays this year having memories of me being calm and in good spirits, rather than a stressed out, short-tempered mess!
I definitely don’t have the holidays down to an art yet, not at all, but one thing that helped me A LOT last year, was I stopped trying to MAKE special moments.
I found that the most special moments came naturally, sometimes when I least expected them to. I had to create the SPACE for them to happen and then tell my expectations to go take a chill pill.
You’re speaking my language ?! What does that look like for you guys?
Like…instead of planning every Saturday and Sunday with some kind of Christmas event, I left most of the days open. I asked the kids what they wanted to do – and oftentimes they wanted to do things at home, or take an impromptu car ride to look at Christmas lights for the third time, or make cookies and play a game by the tree. It was so much more relaxed that way.
Love that! I need to create more space so God can be at the heart of all our holiday planning this year and for our focus to remain on Him. ✞
Soaking in the Truth
Scripture to encourage you:
- “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.” – John 14:27, NLT
- “Following after the Holy Spirit leads to life and peace, but following after the old nature leads to death.” – Romans 8:6, TLB
Music to inspire you:
- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Frank Sinatra
- I Need a Silent Night by Amy Grant
Readings to come alongside of you:
- When You Just Need to Breathe from Girlfriends in God
- Overwhelmed with the Holiday Season? You are Not Alone from Mom’s Well Being
- Keeping Christ the Center of Christmas from FamilyLife
- Dear Moms of Littles – Here’s Your NOT Do Holiday List – You’re Welcome from (in)courage
Living Out the Truth
Ideas to try:
- Think about what your most important priorities are for the holidays. Do you want to focus on family time? Volunteering time to help others? Cooking good food? There are no wrong answers here! After you have thought of what your priorities are, think about how your holiday plans align with those priorities. Spend some time asking God if these are the priorities He wants for your family this holiday season.
- Write down all of the things you would like to do this holiday season. Go through your list and ask yourself, “does this activity energize me or does it leave me feeling stressed and drained?” Eliminate as many of those draining activities as possible…even those that you know you “should” do but just don’t bring life.
- Invite your children into the holiday planning. Ask them what they would like to do. Ask what their favorite holiday tradition is and be sure to include that in your holiday plans.
- Pray this prayer with your family: Lord, may You remain our focus this year as we celebrate Your entrance onto this earth. May your Spirit guide us as we start traditions, as we share your love with others, and as we carve out space for You to fill with Your wonder. In all of this, may You be the center. May You be glorified in our hearts and in our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen
{These suggestions are ideas from novice moms. Sometimes our life situations need more. In that case, seeking out professional help is the right call.}
Love the cakes for police and fire men…My family does not celebrate Christmas because we are Messianic Jews. We celebrate traditional Jewish holidays. However, we do bake a birthday cake for Y’Shua (Jesus) for Christmas Day to reflect what is happening and share the birth story of Messiah.
Thanks for sharing your family tradition, Elissa! We also make a birthday cake for Jesus. I think it helps make the whole birth story a little more relatable for my small kids. Plus, who doesn’t love a good birthday cake ;)! Have a wonderful holiday season!