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The holiday season is at full tilt. And despite
our best intentions to simplify, most of us find
ourselves swept up in the flurry of activities we
simultaneously love and dread: shopping, wrapping,
decorating, cooking, traveling and entertaining.
Amid the flurry (some days more like a blizzard), it’s hard to
remember to live in the moment, to connect with our spouses and
enjoy our children’s holiday delight and excitement. So here are a few
simple ideas to help you slow down and capture those fleeting
moments you will some day treasure as fond memories.
Listen
Parents
of
small
children
hone
the
ability
to
tune
out
the
sound
of
our
children’s
voices.
Let’s
face
it—it’s
a
basic
survival
mechanism.
But
during
the
holidays,
learn
to
differentiate.
Listen
for
the
difference
between
excitement
and
whining.
By
all
means,
tune
out
the
whining,
but
when
she
says
excitedly, “Look,
Mom!”
for
the
four
billionth
time,
rather
than
brush
her
off
with
a
dismissive, “Uh-huh,
that’s
nice,
sweetie,”
take
a
minute
to
really
look.
See
through
her
eyes
the
lights
or
the
reindeer
or
the
choo-choo,
or
whatever
it
is,
and
let
yourself
enjoy
a
couple
minutes
of
wonder.
Take
Pictures
We
all
have
photos
of
our
kids
on
Santa’s
knee,
but
not
so
many
of
our
children
just
being
children.
Keep
a
camera
handy
and
snap
a
few
shots,
or
if
your
camera
is
capabe,
take
video,
of
your
child
making
silly
faces
or
acting
goofy.
Take
fun
photos
of
him
making
his
wish
list
or
wrapping
presents
or
impatiently
counting
down
to
Santa’s
visit.
Give
the
camera
to
the
kids
sometimes
and
let
them
take
fun
photos
of
Mom
and
Dad,
too.
Smile
Smile
at
your
children,
laugh
with
your
spouse,
smile
at
the
cashier,
giggle
with
a
friend,
smile
at
the
cranky
lady
behind
you
in
line.
Sounds
crazy,
but
even
a
forced
smile
will
release
chemicals
in
your
brain
that
can
help
lighten
your
mood.
Smiling
at
your
husband
reminds
him
you
like
him,
and
smiling
at
your
children
teaches
them
to
smile
rather
than
grouse
through
the
holidays.
Breathe
When
stress
hits
high
gear,
we’re
often
unaware
that
we’ve
achieved
fight-or-flight
mode:
every
nerve
is
on
edge,
our
muscles
tense,
our
breathing
shallow,
our
minds
racing.
Try
to
notice
when
you
feel
this
happening.
Then
stop.
Take
one
minute
(more
if
you
have
time)
to
close
your
eyes,
slow
your
breathing,
and
relax
your
muscles.
A
minute
or
two
periodically
throughout
the
day
will
not
affect
your
schedule,
but
will
feel
luxurious.
Prioritize
Ten
years
from
now,
it’s
unlikely
you’ll
remember
what
you
ate
for
Thanksgiving
dinner,
but
you’re
sure
to
remember
a
family
talent
show
or
that
funky
family-made
centerpiece
or
the
annual
trip
around
town
to
see
the
lights.
And
when
the
kids
have
left
for
college,
you
and
hubby
won’t
remember
how
clean
the
house
or
how
manicured
the
lawn,
but
you
will
remember
the
fun
you
had
going
(without
the
kids)
to
that
concert
or
the
closeness
you
felt
after
a
night
of
dancing.
Don’t
waste
time
stressing
over
details
to
impress
your
dinner
guests
or
to
appease
a
cantankerous
relative.
Instead,
move
your
marriage
and
your
children
to
the
top
of
the
list.
Invest
time
and
energy
in
activities
that
bring
your
family
joy.
Send us your comments and feedback: contactus@valleyparent.com.
