Tips For Setting Holiday Boundaries

It’s so easy for us to feel completely burnt out, especially around the holidays. We are constantly on the go while being bombarded with all the holiday festivities we must attend, presents we must buy, and a never-ending list that just keeps growing. We joke that all we want is a “silent night” but that seems completely unattainable until after the new year. But why do we put so much pressure on ourselves to make the holidays magical for everyone around us that we lose ourselves in the chaos?

It doesn’t have to be this way! It’s okay to set holiday boundaries. It’s ok to slow down and everything will be just as merry and bright. Here are tips for setting some boundaries this holiday season.

First, delegate, delegate, delegate! It doesn’t have to be all you all the time. It took me a while to learn this myself. Now that two of my children are elementary school age they can help around the house. They can decorate and help bake cookies for Santa, among other things. I have also realized my husband can be a great shopper if I just ask. You don’t have to wear yourself out when there are hands ready to help if you let them.

Don’t sweat the small stuff. If the photographer is booked for Christmas minis…it’s ok. You can take beautiful photos yourself that you will cherish forever. If that last toy on your children’s Christmas list is out of stock, it’s not the end of the world, substitute it with something else. If you didn’t order matching Christmas pajamas this year, it will be fine. A few years down the road no one will remember the small stuff, just the fun memories you made together.

It’s okay to scale back on festivities if you don’t have time or energy to do them all. Soak in and enjoy the small moments and memories with your children. It doesn’t matter if you don’t attend every light show, Christmas party, or Santa sighting. It’s also okay to say “no” if your plate is too full and you just can not add one more thing to the December calendar. Enjoy what you can do.

Don’t compare! I used to wonder how some moms decorated eight perfectly pristine trees with zero broken ornaments and kept them all standing. That is just not possible in my home. I enjoy seeing other people’s holiday décor but there is no point in comparing myself to anyone else. I love Christmas decorations and strolling the isles of Home Goods adding to my collection while trying to out-do my past year’s setup. I think however you decorate your house is perfect.

No matter how you decorate, celebrate, or spread holiday cheer do it your way and do not compare and remember it’s ok to set boundaries!

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