With only a few days before the majority of our holiday celebrations begin, I already feel the stress of having company over from decorating the house to creating menus that everyone will love and getting thoughtful gifts sure to make everyone smile.The pressure for everything to look and feel “perfect” can be A LOT to say the least. Here are some of my favorite de-stressing tips:
Exercise: Whether its a quick walk around the block, stretching or hitting up the gym…taking 5 min to 45 min to get your endorphins pumping will boost your energy and mindset
Hydrate Hydrate Hydrate: Getting in your 6-8 glasses of water every day will flush the toxins right out of your body leaving you to feel more energized.
Do a holiday vision board: I love this practice because it makes you refocus on what the most important part of the holidays are for you and puts it at the forefront of your mind. Is it making memories? Being the ultimate host? Making the most incredible Christmas Eve Dinner? I would imagine that the answer always includes making memories to last a lifetime so the emphasis is on being present and not sweating all the small stuff. Sometimes I can be so guilty of trying to create the perfect photo op or making Pinterest worthy meal that I lose sight of the idea that are getting together to make memories that will last us a lifetime. You are never alone for holiday drama, we all have it.
Self Care:Take a moment or moments for you during the holiday craze. It could be a quick escape to your closet to take a few deep breaths, it could be a long hot shower or winding down the night with a hot cup of tea. Taking a few moments to yourself will make everything feel more manageable
Saying NO: It is always ok to say no. There is only so much we can all physically and mentally do. Only commit to the things you can easily do in your schedule and want to do. I have learned the hard way but try not to over commit. For instance don’t say yes to baking homemade cookies for a holiday event because you feel like you should even though you already committed to volunteering for your kids play and hosting a holiday get together at your house after. Someone else can jump in and and share in the holiday fun. You don’t have to do everything
Limit your alcohol intake: It can be easy over the holidays to grab the extra glass of wine/drink when you are cleaning up after a dinner party, staying up late wrapping presents, winding down after a crazy day or staying late at a friends house catching up but just remember to get your water intake up so you feel refreshed and but this will generally leave you feeling dehydrated and tired the next morning. Try swapping your night cap for a cup of warm tea or apple cider instead. Pre-plan the number of drinks you plan on having and make sure you also plan for a designated driver or Uber.
Another question that seems to come up in the parenting world quite often is do you let your kids sip over the holidays. For me the answer is no but here are some my reasons:
- Culturally for me, we weren’t allowed to sip alcohol we were 21
- As a mom, I think it would be confusing to let my 9 yr sip alcohol on some occasions and then also say it’s not legal until you are 21 to drink
- I worry about encouraging underage drinking should he take a liking to alcohol. This was a crazy fact I found, “most 6-year-olds know that alcohol is only for adults. Between the ages of 9 and 13, children start to view alcohol more positively. Many children begin to think underage drinking is okay. Some even start to experiment.” I am just not ready for that as a parent
- I want E to be a kid for as long as possible and focus on school and play for now. As he gets into high school, we will delve more into the mature topics of alcohol, drinking and driving, drugs etc
On the other hand, I know that there are different cultures that have had so much success with sharing with “sips” of alcohol with their children. It can show them how to drink responsibly since they can model your behavior with it, that because they have been exposed to alcohol their whole life it’s not as exciting as it might be if you have never had a drink before and you as a parent could have more alcohol responsibility teaching moments.
No matter whether you choose to let your child have sips or not over the holidays, I think the bigger conversation is around thoughtfully having conversations with your spouse/partner and kids around alcohol and responsibility. These are two great reads to help :
*this is a sponsored post for being an ambassador of the Responsibility.org #TalkEarly program but all opinions expressed are my own