Top tips to keep Christmas stress free
By Kate Wright
Christmas is the most expensive time of the year and involves an awful lot of hard work, especially if you have children. Here at UK Mums we have come up with some useful advice to keep the work to a minimum and help you to enjoy the festive season with your family.
* First you need to get into the Christmas spirit and try to enjoy the preparations, plan in advance so that you can take it slowly and it is not all a mad rush!
* Decide on what you are going to buy the kids and buy it early, before the shops sell out.
* Decide what you are going to spend on everyone and then go out and browse for ideas, remembering to take a pen and paper to take notes.
* If possible, go shopping several times and get someone else to look after the children.
* Find out when and where Father Christmas will be visiting and plan when to go so that you won't have to make the children wait in a queue for hours.
* Get the children to write to Santa, its lovely when they really believe in him and it will help you with ideas for them as well.
* If you intend to go to the pantomime book early so the children will be able to see.
* Include the children in preparations by getting them to make decorations and help with cooking the Christmas cake, pudding and mince pies.
* Organise your Christmas day meal so that you will spend the minimum amount of time in the kitchen. Blanch vegetables and freeze them beforehand, order your turkey early so that you don't have a panic on Christmas Eve when everywhere has sold out and get everyone to help out.
* Make sure that any toys that you buy are tested to make sure they work. If possible assemble toys beforehand so that excited children don't have to wait for hours while you figure out how to build it.
* Always make certain that you have all of the batteries and accessories needed so that they can use the toys or games straight away.
* A good idea to keep children in their bedrooms as late as possible is to hang their filled stockings by their beds and tell them they can open them as long as they stay in their rooms!
* Let the family come to you rather than the rush of having to get the children washed, dressed and then tear them away from their new toys. Alternatively, organise for everyone to get together on Boxing Day which will be more relaxed and prolong the excitement for the children.
* Choose smaller presents for the children carefully and try to include a video, to calm and re-energise them. It is a good idea to take the children outside for a walk so that they can release some energy so try to give them an outdoors present like a scarf and glove set or a ball.
* Expect young children to prefer to play with packaging before playing with the toy that you spent hours finding and spent a lot of money on!
* Have plenty of games for your child to play and be prepared to play them as well as with their new toys.
* My parents always had a tree present for us which we opened after tea and was a very good idea to get us to eat some tea and gave us something else to look forward to.
* Finally don't expect the children to eat all of their vegetables and sit for hours while you reminisce about Christmas' gone by. If they don't normally eat vegetables and don't like Christmas dinner buy them something they will eat. Supermarkets now sell Christmas shaped chicken nuggets which they can have with roast potatoes and some peas and although it is not a 'proper Christmas dinner' they will eat it and think it is special to them. Set up a smaller table with children's crackers and decorations and let them get down when they have eaten, it will save having tantrums and fed up children and you can relax knowing that everyone is happy.
We hope that these tips will help the festive season go smoothly and you will be able to relax and enjoy your time with your family. If you have any tips or advice to add to this please let us know. We all wish you a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Kate is a qualified nursery nurse and private nanny.
Christmas is the most expensive time of the year and involves an awful lot of hard work, especially if you have children. Here at UK Mums we have come up with some useful advice to keep the work to a minimum and help you to enjoy the festive season with your family.
* First you need to get into the Christmas spirit and try to enjoy the preparations, plan in advance so that you can take it slowly and it is not all a mad rush!
* Decide on what you are going to buy the kids and buy it early, before the shops sell out.
* Decide what you are going to spend on everyone and then go out and browse for ideas, remembering to take a pen and paper to take notes.
* If possible, go shopping several times and get someone else to look after the children.
* Find out when and where Father Christmas will be visiting and plan when to go so that you won't have to make the children wait in a queue for hours.
* Get the children to write to Santa, its lovely when they really believe in him and it will help you with ideas for them as well.
* If you intend to go to the pantomime book early so the children will be able to see.
* Include the children in preparations by getting them to make decorations and help with cooking the Christmas cake, pudding and mince pies.
* Organise your Christmas day meal so that you will spend the minimum amount of time in the kitchen. Blanch vegetables and freeze them beforehand, order your turkey early so that you don't have a panic on Christmas Eve when everywhere has sold out and get everyone to help out.
* Make sure that any toys that you buy are tested to make sure they work. If possible assemble toys beforehand so that excited children don't have to wait for hours while you figure out how to build it.
* Always make certain that you have all of the batteries and accessories needed so that they can use the toys or games straight away.
* A good idea to keep children in their bedrooms as late as possible is to hang their filled stockings by their beds and tell them they can open them as long as they stay in their rooms!
* Let the family come to you rather than the rush of having to get the children washed, dressed and then tear them away from their new toys. Alternatively, organise for everyone to get together on Boxing Day which will be more relaxed and prolong the excitement for the children.
* Choose smaller presents for the children carefully and try to include a video, to calm and re-energise them. It is a good idea to take the children outside for a walk so that they can release some energy so try to give them an outdoors present like a scarf and glove set or a ball.
* Expect young children to prefer to play with packaging before playing with the toy that you spent hours finding and spent a lot of money on!
* Have plenty of games for your child to play and be prepared to play them as well as with their new toys.
* My parents always had a tree present for us which we opened after tea and was a very good idea to get us to eat some tea and gave us something else to look forward to.
* Finally don't expect the children to eat all of their vegetables and sit for hours while you reminisce about Christmas' gone by. If they don't normally eat vegetables and don't like Christmas dinner buy them something they will eat. Supermarkets now sell Christmas shaped chicken nuggets which they can have with roast potatoes and some peas and although it is not a 'proper Christmas dinner' they will eat it and think it is special to them. Set up a smaller table with children's crackers and decorations and let them get down when they have eaten, it will save having tantrums and fed up children and you can relax knowing that everyone is happy.
We hope that these tips will help the festive season go smoothly and you will be able to relax and enjoy your time with your family. If you have any tips or advice to add to this please let us know. We all wish you a very Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
Kate is a qualified nursery nurse and private nanny.