Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year for families and though the holiday period can be a lot of fun, it also is very quickly filled up with family occasions and events, making it hard to know how to organise your time.

Some people find their time disappears and while many people find this part and parcel of the festive period for others, they hate not being able to just sit down and enjoy things for themselves. Here's how to organise your time over Christmas so you can enjoy it. 

The best way to organise your time over Christmas:

  1. Plan for it early.

    There is a lot to be said for being organised and even the simplest of tasks can make the Christmas period go that little bit easier. Shop for gifts ahead of time, wrap gifts and separate them for when you are visiting people, so they are easily at hand. Look at family events/occasions, parties, kids’ events and anything else that you must attend. Put the calendar where everyone can see it, so you all know the plan. If you can, take turns (with your partner) for some events especially if you don’t have to go to them all. This way you could work on gifts and wrapping while the rest of the family goes to carol singing etc. 

  2. Rotate with family.

    Take turns with family and try and rotate the family occasions or events so you are not the only one hosting. If you are going to events in someone else's home, make sure you offer help so that others will repay the favour to you. Commit to family occasions and once they are agreed don’t move the times around as other invites come in as you’ll find yourself and your family overscheduled. If you are having family stay over, organise their room ahead of time and get the kids to help. 

  3. Organise your shopping trips.

    Christmas usually means quite a few shopping trips to various places. Writing a list of everything you need to avoid any last minute dashes to the shops is so important. Once you have the shopping organised with everything at home, you will find more time in your day to enjoy the season. One good tip is to have a list of Christmas items to buy on your computer to be printed off and you can use it again next year. You’ll be less likely to miss anything with a more organised list. 

  4. Clean and tidy.

    Before the kids break up for the Christmas holidays, take time to clear out the cupboards, drawers and organise the fridge/freezer to make room for all the new items. One other thing is to ask the kids to tidy their rooms and do their own clear out a few weeks before Christmas as they’ll get lots of new things but is there room for them? Bring items to your local charity shop and get the kids to check if they need any clothes for family occasions so you can arrange a shopping day for that. 

  5. Enjoy it.

    Family events and Christmas shouldn’t be a chore and it certainly shouldn’t stress you out. If you have a lot to do, ask for help and get all the family involved so it doesn’t all land on your desk. Take rests and enjoy the family time instead of worrying about everyone else and feeding, serving drinks and running about. It’s your Christmas too!

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