The holiday season is a magical time, but it can also be hectic, especially when you have little ones at home. To help you manage the festivities with ease, we’ve gathered some of our best tips from parents, for parents. Whether creating new traditions or just letting go of expectations, these tips will make your holiday more joyful while keeping your sanity intact. 

Celebrating the holidays with kids

Toddler survival kit

Prepare for your holiday gatherings if you’re visiting friends or family. We pack a little ‘survival kit’ for our toddler with his favorite snacks, lovey, and a small activity. The lovey helps him feel more secure in unfamiliar surroundings, and the snacks come in handy when the hunger hits. We also like to plan our visits around his nap schedule to avoid the overtired toddler meltdown. And remember, it’s okay to leave the party early! – Micalagh 

Letting go of expectations

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as a parent – especially during the holidays – is to let go of the expectations I created in my head to make the day “perfect.” One year, my son cried the whole time we tried to have holiday photos taken. I received a gallery of images that showed sweet moments of me comforting my son. Last year, the stomach bug hit the house, and we were going to miss all the festivities. Instead, we celebrated days later, and everyone was more present and relaxed, knowing they didn’t have to bounce around from house to house for celebrations. We decided celebrating after the actual holiday would be our new tradition. – Jen 

Giving back

Bring your child to a physical store with you and have them pick out something you can wrap together and donate to the less fortunate (your church, school, etc.) This is a great way to spend time together and teach them the value of giving back. – Lauren 

Holiday tin tradition

Growing up, I loved getting holiday tins filled with homemade goodies from our family and friends. When my oldest was a toddler, we started our holiday tin tradition. Each weekend, during the holiday season, we make a different treat ranging from sweet to savory. Focusing on one kind at a time is less overwhelming, and cookies freeze so well that no one will be wiser to your holiday hack! On Christmas Eve, we go out to our family and friends with our tins and have a wonderful variety of goodies to share. Here are some of our family favorites:

Rosemary shortbread

Easy fudge

Cranberry cookies

Ranch oyster cookies

 – Aili

Living in the moment 

Over the holiday season, as a family, we try to focus on being present with each other and reflect on the good things in life. Right now, we like to “unplug” and live in the moment by having dance parties, decorating the house, and making cookies. As the kids get older, we’ll go to soup kitchens and take the them to stores to pick out toys to donate to children who are less fortunate. As parents, it’s important for us to live in the moment since everything goes by so quickly, and enjoy family time as often as possible. – Jolyn 

Holiday movie marathon

I’m a homebody and love the idea of having a night in, so every year, we organize a holiday movie marathon for the kids. We watch some of the classics from our childhood, like Home Alone, and sprinkle in some new movies the kids love. My wife and I will prepare a big snack board with holiday-themed goodies and drinks. – Samuel  

New family traditions

As kids, we had different family traditions like going to a tree farm to cut down a tree and decorating together. My wife and I wanted to create new memories with our kids, so we started one where we bake holiday cookies as a family and hand them out to our neighbors. They love the treats, and our kids love to see how happy others are when we deliver them. – Michael 

Holiday book basket 

Our daughter loves to read, and we knew we wanted to gift her some new books. Instead of giving them to her all at once, we created the “12 days of holiday books.” I decorated a cardboard box with red and green pom-poms, some garland, and glitter (maybe leave that part out!) Then, we gift-wrapped 12 holiday-themed books and placed them in the decorated box. Each day she got to open one book and have a new present. – Sasha 

Self-care

I used to worry about making the holidays perfect for my kids. But I soon found out how unattainable that was because I was leaving out the most important thing – self-care. I obsessed over the perfect gifts, house decorations, and fun holiday outings, and I soon found myself burnt out. I didn’t have time to enjoy anything because I was exhausted. Now, when the holidays are approaching, I make sure to take breaks. This can look like taking a walk every day, setting aside one night per week for a face mask and cup of tea, and buying myself a little gift!   – Amber 

Remember, the most important thing is to enjoy the present moment, savoring each laugh, each hug, and each shared experience. Let go of expectations, and don’t forget to take care of yourself. Happy holidays!