Christmas is an absolutely magical time of year. The sights, sounds, tastes, and smells all delight the senses. Everyone wants their holiday to be merry, bright and filled with wonder.  Sometimes that’s easier said than done and all the good intentions start to feel like a burden. Trying to make everything perfect gets overwhelming and stressful. That’s when it’s great to talk to someone who’s been around the Christmas block a time or two.

If you talk to people who’ve raised families into adulthood, you might learn that you don’t need to jam pack your holidays so full that you start to feel dazed and confused. They’ll likely tell you that a lot of the effort you put into making memorable holidays simply doesn’t matter. That you can do less and have a bigger impact.

Learning from people who’ve lived some life can help you avoid stress and headaches during Christmas…and the rest of the year. Asking some powerful questions can make all the difference in how you spend your time and resources during the holiday. Take a look-

Q? How important is it to buy gifts for Christmas?

A: It may feel important to have a lot of gifts under the tree so children feel valued, but in the end it doesn’t matter. They usually blow through the gifts and only really care about one or two each year. Over time it means more to kids to have fewer gifts that are more thoughtful for their needs at the time.

Q? What do kids remember most?

A: Kids tend to remember events more than anything. A year you take a vacation instead of staying home. The year you go skiing on Christmas day and have a crock pot dinner. These unusual events really impact their memories in positive ways.

Q? What are the top 3 most important things to focus on?
A: 1. Quality time. Doing a special activity with each child during the season really means a lot to them. 2. Tradition. Having something fun you do each year helps create a lasting memory that they tend to take into adulthood. 3. Community. Using the holiday to remind children of the importance of caring for the community as a whole. Buying gifts for the Angel Tree network or volunteering somehow as a family.

It can feel overwhelming trying to be, do, and have everything there is to make Christmas special. It needn’t be too complicated. Ask those older than you for their perspective and advice on how you can streamline and bring out the best of the holidays without feeling burdened.