This time of year as Christmas get closer I don’t know about anyone else but I can feel the anxiety creeping up on me! However I’ve had to step back and think about this. What exactly am I stressed about? Is this something I can stop myself from doing? Trying to put this into perspective I do find that pretending that I’m giving advice to a someone else helps. So here I’m going to share how to prepare for a stress free Christmas.

Preparation

Think of things that can be done before the day, which can result in you having time to sit and enjoying memories by watching the opening of presents and the family being together.

Things that can be done ahead of the day:

• Vegetables can be prepared and left in water over night.
• The table can be laid the day before (also a great job to delegate to the younger children to do!)
• Roast potatoes can be partly boiled and put in the fridge over night.
• Stuffing can be done up to a couple of days before and be kept in the fridge.
• Most puddings can be done in advance.

Don’t forget it’s your Christmas too

Whether you’re spending the holidays with family. friends or on your own the struggle can be exhausting. Those with people may want to be alone, those with no one may want to be surrounded. Although if you don’t want to be with your family (due to bad relationships), maybe it is best to spend it either someone you care about or alone. At least that way you can do and eat whatever you want on Christmas Day.

I’ve recently been talking to many who won’t see their family at Christmas. Mainly because of family growth, children become adults then they have grand children and their lifestyle changes. However, I would say if you’ve not got anything planned and you want to be with people. They might not even realise how important it is to you to see them. But if they say no, rather than getting upset arrange a date over the period to spend time with them. Christmas Day doesn’t necessarily have to be Christmas Day.

You cannot do everything

There are many from large families who will all get together for the special day, if it’s a large amount on Christmas Day it can end up being a chore for that one person who probably won’t sit down till late evening (exhausted).

Have a plan for the day, delegate tasks to different people. If there are at least three adults you can share the responsibilities. If one person is doing the cooking, there should be at least one other that cleans up after dinner.

Then there’s the entertaining, there will be that one person in the group who is always good at entertaining. They can be responsible for organising games to be played before and after dinner in between the opening of presents. Make one of the presents a game, which is great to keep them occupied whilst dinner is being cooked.

Accept the day may not be perfect

At the end of the day we need to stop and realise that Christmas doesn’t need to be perfect. Don’t expect too much and then you’ll be pleasantly surprised! Many will be making sure the day is perfect, but all we need is our loved ones around us.

Social media will be full of picture perfect Christmas’ all over the festive period, and the pictures will look amazing and smiling faces and matching pyjamas (mine included!)

However, remember to take into consideration that it’s only the good photos that go on social media. Who would put a picture of a toddler having a tantrum or an older child claiming ‘he doesn’t like his dinner and he wants a chips’? So keep that in mind when scrolling through photos and remember that actually your Christmas is as good as anyone else’s.