Now, in the heart of December and the holiday hustle and bustle, are you one of the “Six [out of] 10 moms [who] say they find it hard to slow down and enjoy the festive season”? According to the NY Post, “The pressure to have a ‘perfect Christmas’ also takes its toll on 41 percent of Americans, who confess to working ‘too hard’ to achieve it. The percentage jumps to almost half (49 percent) for moms, who put even more pressure on themselves.”
No wonder we feel like we are going insane for the whole month of December! Fortunately, we’ve identified several sanity savers for moms that will make December 2019 better than last year.
Lower Your Expectations
As the statistics show, moms tend to put pressure on themselves to ensure their whole family has a picture-perfect Christmas. Well, moms, it isn’t going to happen. Something is bound to go wrong. And, if you have high expectations, then you are setting yourself up to be let down. Instead, lower your expectations. Expect your kids to get tired and cranky. Expect hair out of place in the photos. Then, when these things don’t happen, you will be thrilled!
Remember, Less is More
It is so easy to go overboard in December. We overindulge, overeat, and overcommit. We buy too many toys for our kids. We eat too much, and we drink too much. We pack our schedules full every night. The whole “more and more” feel of December ends up making us feel worse and worse. This December opt for quality over quantity.
Forget FOMO
If you are a mom who struggles with the “fear of missing out” (aka FOMO), it is time to learn to say no. Your life is busy enough already. You don’t need to make it even busier doing things you don’t really want to be doing. As Robin Sharma writes, “Every time you say yes to something that is unimportant, you say no to something that is important.”
Schedule Time for Self-Care
Moms have all been reminded that in order to take care of their little ones they need to take care of themselves. This is truer in December than in any other month of the year. It feels like December is all about the kids, so moms are constantly on the go making sure December is awesome. But, you need to make sure you take some time for yourself before you burn out and end up acting like The Grinch.
Pass the Present Wrapping Off to Someone Else
Unless you love wrapping presents, pass the present wrapping off to someone else. There are several community organizations that offer free gift wrapping or offer gift wrapping for donations to their supported charities. If you can’t find one of these groups in your area, then pay the same teenager who babysits your kids to wrap the gifts for you.
Shop at Home
Another of our sanity savers is more convenient shopping. With online shopping and grocery delivery, there is no reason to get out into the December crowds unless absolutely necessary. Put on some comfy clothes and order the remaining gifts on your list by taking advantage of Free Shipping Day on Saturday, December 14, 2019.
Ditch the Elf (Or Any Other Festive Thing That Drives You to Insanity)
If there is something your family seems to be doing just because every other family at school is doing it, then take some time to reevaluate. If moving a magical elf every night is making your eyelid twitch, you might want to lose the elf. Come up with magic that works better for your family and your sanity.
Save Precious Time by Carpooling
With the jam-packed December calendar and kids getting out of school for half-days and exams, you can save precious time by carpooling using GoKid. If you share carpooling duties with other moms, it means you each get time to yourself to bake cookies, sing along to Mariah Carey’s Christmas album, or make teacher gifts. Then, on your day to drive the kids to and from, you will get to hear about all the holiday fun the kids are having at school and remember why you might need to give the teacher a little extra.
