Holidays are a crazy time. You are visiting or hosting the family and lets all agree it can get a bit overwhelming. You have to think of all the gifts to get, make lists to not forget what cookies you want to bake, or food you need to bring, but also you need to prepare your kids for the next few days filled with fun, laughter, memories but also being exhausted.
I am someone who is always on a schedule with my kids, yes I will deviate a bit such as naptime but not by very much. I keep them on a schedule because they are still very small and I noticed when their schedules are ruined they become over tired, overwhelmed and just all over the place.
During the holidays and having small kids can be even more stressful because you are not sure how your kids will be. Yes it is fun, yes it is memories but it is also stressful for parents. What the one thing that makes it more stressful is when you have family members who don’t understand that routine is part of your kids life and you like to stick to it.
My kids this year did great, we only had a few meltdowns but I kept their schedule and worked my occasions around their schedule. If family members didn’t like it I didn’t really bother with the comments because I know that I have to deal with the aftermath at home.
I am not sure if you agree or not but I now know that with the years to come that traditions are important but also the holidays are not meant to stress you out.
This year Christmas Eve we celebrated with family, one side in the early afternoon before naptime and then in the evening with our other side before bedtime. Their were a few meltdowns and yes the kids were tired but it all worked out.then on Christmas Day we spent just us 4 and Bacci our dog together as we opened our gifts in the early morning. It was perfect simple and zero stress. New years was celebrated a few hours before actual new years and my kids loved the celebration. Me and my husband had our party after they went to bed. The party consisted of being in our pjs sitting on the couch and watching a movie, or may I rephrase the movie playing while we were both passed out of exhaustion.
All to say, is that yes holidays are fun but now I understand parents and now I get all the stress when it comes to keeping your kids on a schedule.
