How to Organize the Family's Holiday Season. Top tips for Plan A, Plan B, and even Plan C to get you and your family ready for the holiday season.
Plan A: Make a Plan.
Get out your pen and paper. (Or grab your PDA or Smartphone).
1 Log the Holiday Must-Dos.
These are the dinners, parties, traditions, etc. that the family cannot live without. Include everything from Thanksgiving dinner to the school holiday play to your annual cookies exchange to Christmas Eve services.
2 Enter Firm Dates.
Grab the calendar and write down all the occasions that have firm dates. Add in tentative dates for all unscheduled events, putting as much time between them as possible. These dates may change, but at least you'll be holding a space for them.
3 List Chores to Do and Special Projects.
This should include things like holiday shopping and cards, gift-wrapping, holiday photos, decorating, any special handmade gifts you'll be doing with the kids.)
Estimate how many hours each will take and log that in, too.
4 Prioritize These Tasks and Give Them a Due Date.
Schedule as many as possible for November. Some things have to be done early, anyway. (If you send personalized holiday cards, you have to get those family photos taken right away.)
Other work-ahead tasks include
cleaning
and
organizing the kitchen for the holidays,
and shopping. Especially those gifts you'll be mailing back home before the postal service and delivery companies really get busy.
Going back to the calendar, organize and assign specific dates for each of the chores and projects you've listed above. Space these out so that you will accomplish a little bit each week. The idea is to avoid that last-minute crunch that makes holidays a hassle instead of a joy.
With a plan for organizing the holidays in place, all other invitations and events can be juggled around your basic schedule. This way you just might avoid wrapping Santa gifts at 2 a.m. on December 25.
Plan B: Make it a Family Affair.
Plan A pertains to the head elf (you). Plan B pertains to the whole family. Hey, why should you have all the stress - er - fun? Review your list and see what can be delegated to family members.
Give each assistant elf an area (or two or three) of expertise. Maybe your 10-year-old daughter loves to wrap gifts. Your teen is an excellent baker.
Make a
chart
and list each family member and the chores they need to accomplish each week to ward off the Grinch.
After all, the more everyone pitches in, the more time you have for family fun.
3 Plan C: Plan to Have Fun.
Review your plan. If you're feeling overwhelmed, begin removing items. Remember that quiet evenings are also a vital part of enjoying the holiday season.
If you're always dashing off to parties and concerts and breakfasts with Santa, when are you going to enjoy the smells, sounds and color of your holiday decked-out home?
Be aware that we are often raising the bar on ourselves. Whatever we did last year, we feel we need to do bigger and better this year.
The dinner will be more spectacular. The gifts will all be custom wrapped to fit the recipient. We really will go caroling this year...
Sound familiar? Tell yourself what you tell the kids when they write out their wish lists: You can't have it all. And even if you could, it would not make you happy. The key is to make what you do do have very special meaning to everyone involved.
Ideas of events or traditions that can survive the cut? Forgo the holiday newsletter. Hey, send it in February.
You may not have time to make the plum pudding. Your home may not glisten when neighbors drop by. Take time to love your children and make your home warm and welcoming for those inside. It really is enough for this and any other holiday season.
