Somehow, shopping, planning, cleaning, cooking, serving, and then cleaning some more all seem to become chores on Mom’s list of things to do for the holidays. While this may not be true in all homes, it is in many. If you are that mom, you don’t have to be, if you don’t want to be. There is nothing wrong with encouraging and even expecting help from your family members. Holidays are family events, so every member of the family can certainly add to the effort to ensure that everyone enjoys the meal, the festivities, and the overall occasion.
It’s much more difficult for the person doing all the work to enjoy the fruits of her labor. Of course, it’s not always just Mom either. It may be Dad who ends up taking on everything, yet no one person should have to do it all. While your family members may moan and groan a little at first, they are likely to realize that working together to make holidays special can be an enjoyable experience. They are also likely to see that Mom or Dad is a lot more fun when not so overwhelmed.
So, what types of tasks do you think you can delegate to your spouse or your kids? Think about it for a moment, because when you do, you’ll realize just how many things need to be done. One person simply cannot do it all without succumbing to exhaustion. I used to try to do it all, but those days are over. I was surprised to find that my family likes to help and it has made each holiday much more pleasant for all of us.
Our girls don’t even mind helping with the cleaning and some of those other less than fun chores if they know they can help with the cooking and decorating too. We usually have some great talks as well as lots of giggles as we work side by side. I think part of the reason it’s so important to me is because I didn’t like being stuck in the kitchen all by myself. I like the company.
We’re all more relaxed these days and everybody is proud of the fact that they helped make it an enjoyable day.
Other articles that may be of interest:
Home and Family: Mixing it up with Chores