3 Big Reasons Why Parents Get Stressed Around This Time Of Year

Christmas is stressful and while most parents would like to spend it happy and chilled out, that is easier said than done. For whatever reason, Christmas can be difficult for some people and there is so much going on it can be perfectly natural to feel overwhelmed.

Here are some of the reasons why parents get stressed over Christmas and a few tips on how to chill before you go into a meltdown:

Money woes – Money is a huge stress at Christmas and though it shouldn’t mean everything there is no getting away from the truth that money helps at Christmas. If parents are struggling with their finances, it can be a time where they feel like a failure and as their kids look at getting this and that it will inevitably hurt parents.

What to do: Help yourself by sticking to budget from the get-go and don’t let yourself be driven into debt to please your children. Look at free activities and spend time with your kids instead of throwing money or gifts at them. Yes, get them what you can but don’t feel guilty for not being able to give them everything they desire. Kids will want stuff and that will never change but not having everything will not do them any harm. Relax and don’t be so hard on yourself.

Toxic Family – We’d all like to think that we have happy families and that life is simple. For some people, family is everything whereas for others it is a source of stress. Christmas means seeing extended family members you may prefer to not see at all and if they are nasty it can make for a miserable few hours while visiting.

What to do: Help yourself by protecting yourself first and choosing whether it is a good idea to visit a toxic family member. If it is risking your mental health than it must be advised against as no one needs the stress or anxiety. However, if you must go, be careful and don’t get too close. Use other family members as a shield and don’t actively engage in conversation with this person.

Hyper kids – We know the kids are just excited but if they are going crazy and being a bit moody it can be annoying especially when parents spend so much on their kids at Christmas. It may seem like you get little thanks and that is unfortunately, a part of Christmas. The kids don’t realise how lucky they are and if they act up and misbehave it can be natural to feel mad at them.

What to do: Help yourself by accepting they are only kids and they don’t mean to be so troublesome! Kids don’t think the way adults do and they don’t realise the implications of money and how they get things they want. It isn’t that they are being selfish as they don’t have the maturity to understand it. Instead, accept their flaws and encourage them to behave better.

On a side note make sure you get time for yourself over Christmas and spend time with people you enjoy spending time with. Get a rest from the kids and do stuff that doesn’t cost the earth. Try and enjoy this wonderful time of year without stress.

Emma Hayes is a thirty-something mum of two girls aged 16 and 10, planting her right into the teenage and tween-age years! Follow her on Twitter at @EmmaHayes25.