- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- dads today articles
- dads today q&a
- message boards
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
 |
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
All Tied Up
Unwrapping a Stress-free Holiday Season
By Donna Smith
Rocks says remembering one basic rule can help relieve stress and put the holidays in perspective. The rule? "Magic habits during the simplest moments," says Rocks. "Holiday magic doesn't have to be complicated. You know that old joke about the parents that bought the neat toys for their kids, and they played with the box? That phenomenon is happening all over – kids want simplicity as much as parents do."
Rocks says she hardly remembers any of the presents she received as a child, but does remember the traditions her family created. "If you have great traditions in your family, you are lucky," she says. "If you don't, start some right away. Even if they seem silly, it is all in the small stuff."
Anne Jacques-Merle, a mother of two from Evanston, Ill., found that keeping flexible helped her holiday run smoothly, even if it meant changing the date of their traditional smorgasbord dinner. "Though our smorgasbord is one thing that defines the extended family, we recognize that it can be held on December 24, 23, 28 or in February if family needs dictate!" she says. "The important thing is the gathering, not the calendar."
Jacques-Merle says it's also important to recognize your nuclear family's right to private time. "My parents felt so pulled by having to hit both grandparents' homes on the same day that they've become totally accepting of our decision to be in our home on the 25th, and travel to their home 300 miles away on the 26th," she says. "You are starting your own traditions, an important component of your own family."
Want to see more?
Comments
There are no comments for this article yet.Be the first to 
|
Post As:
|
||
| Enter your comment below: | ||
| Title | ||
| Comment Text | ||
| CAPTCHA | ||
| Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection. | ||
