With the holidays coming up, chances are you are starting to stress a little bit like me. I too am a single parent, which means I have to budget carefully and shop wisely. Instead of feeling stressed this holiday season, I wanted to provide you with some holiday tips savers. This way, you will enjoy time together with family and friend far more.
One of the main challenges for single parents and holidays is not having enough time to get things done. After all, there are school plays, cookies to bake, shopping to do, presents to wrap, parties to attend, and of course, work, paying bills, and all the normal daily things as well. You need to realize that some level of stress is normal, even for two-parent families so you want to start reducing stress by understanding it is all a part of the game.
In addition, remember that the less stress you have the less stress the children will fell. If you will be attending a late night party, I suggest you spend the money for a babysitter rather than take the child along. This way, your child will be ale to go to bed on time while you enjoy some down time. In the morning, both you and child are happy. Then, try not to schedule too many things close together. True, you may be asked out on a date, asked to go to various parties, or have a number of functions to attend for your child’s school. Although you would like to do it all, you need to prioritize so you are not overloaded.
Remember, the holiday season is busy even if you have no party to attend so make sure everyone has quiet time. For instance, if you know you have a party one evening or a special event at your child’s school, then plan on a quiet day. Let us say it is a Saturday and the night is packed with activities. During the day, keep things low key with movies or having lunch at home together. This way, everyone will be rested and ready for fun.
Now, on the other side of that coin, remember that little children become bored. When they get bored, they begin to act up. Because of this, make sure you set time aside for the little ones too. You could spend an afternoon at the park, visit Grandma’s house, or take in an animated holiday movie. In other words, to keep peace in the house with all your activities and the older kid’s activities, make sure there is also fun time for the smaller children. This way, everyone will have a memorable and less stressful holiday season.
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