I am starting to panic now. My children finish school in just three days, and I haven’t even written all my Christmas cards, or wrapped all my gifts.

Usually I like to be organised and have everything finished before they break up for the Christmas holiday, but time has run away with me, and I’ve been busy with other demands. Christmas is such an emotional drain on mothers!

Keep Calm and Wrap Christmas Gifts

My husband is happily spending 12+ hours per day at work, expecting Christmas to happen as if by magic. Meanwhile I am frantically ordering gifts, trying to be at home for parcel deliveries, trying to settle the new dog in, trying to be present for our daughters’ various festive events, and trying to do all those little things that make Christmas special. And I have a family funeral to attend next week, so you can understand why I am feeling a little overwhelmed. December has been a very strange month so far, and try as I might, I cannot muster the Christmas spirit. But I will, because my children need me to.

I am relieved to have the convenience of online shopping for my family’s gifts. I shopped locally for my parents, my in-laws and my sister. My brother requested a shirt from a company called Father Sons that I had never heard of before. Their website looks pretty good, actually, and the order process was efficient. I might go back to them for birthday presents next year. I combined my daughters’ Christmas shopping with a mixture of online and local second-hand shops.

We don’t need extravagant gifts

My family has agreed that we don’t need extravagant gifts for Christmas, and I have kept within a tight budget. Despite this, I have amassed quite a collection of presents. Now I just need to find time to wrap all these gifts! As for the Christmas cards, I have started writing them, and I will distribute them during the next week or so. When you look at the bigger picture, you see that Christmas really isn’t so stressful as we like to believe.

Ultimately, all we need is to spend quality time with family and friends that we are unable to see quite so often due to work and life commitments. Of course, if you find it stressful to be around certain family members or friends, then you should take time for yourself. Christmas should be a time to rest, relax, and refresh before the onslaught of a new year and new life adventures. Merry Christmas!

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