Parenting Australia

Let It Go

I love the lead up to Christmas. I can’t wait for December to start so that we can put up the tree, and I love all the things my children and I make and do together to prepare for the festive season. Then suddenly the week of Christmas actually hits, and I freak out.

It’s not that I’m not organised. Honest. We choose a theme for our family Christmas meal a year ahead! I buy wrapping paper and gift tags in the colour scheme (yes, there’s an annual colour scheme). I make present lists and start buying in advance. I have ideas about home made gifts for little friends (and big ones).

Catherine Oehlman

Yet somehow for all my good intentions there is still so much to do in the pre-Christmas week. I suspect the problem is my lack of follow through. I’m better at making lists than I am at actually checking things off them!

If like me, your to-do list still contains more than can be done, I have three little words for you.

Let.

It.

Go.

Some of the things on the list are non-negotiable. I understand that. You can’t not have gifts for your kids on Christmas morning. You can’t not have food on the table for Christmas lunch. But there are things on my list I could let go of. Things that would be nice, but aren’t essential. All those lovely little touches are great, if you get them done in time. If the lovely little touches send you into a flap though they’re just not worth it. What will your kids remember? The silver edging on your gift tags or a stressed out mama? I’m thinking the latter.

Try this. Write down the most important thing about Christmas for you. Everyone is different. Perhaps what’s most important to you is giving great gifts. Perhaps it’s serving a wonderful meal. Maybe it’s bringing your family together. Maybe it’s celebrating the birth of a baby in a manger. Or maybe it’s making sure your kids know they are loved. Write down your #1 goal for this Christmas and then compare it to your to-do list. Cross off any items that aren’t in line with your goal. Christmas won’t really be spoilt if some of those things don’t happen. It’s likely that you’ll be the only one to notice actually. And focusing on your main Christmas goal will help you to keep things in perspective.

So as the silly season ramps up into overdrive, my advice for the sake of your children’s happiness and your sanity is to just let it go. Let go of your image of a perfect Christmas and simply aim for a happy day. Forget about that image you saw in a magazine or movie with the immaculate table setting, the wonderfully wrapped gifts, the perfectly presented food and the sweet smiling (clean) children. Pick one goal for yourself and focus on that instead. And have yourself a merry little Christmas, ok?

PS - Thanks for reading in 2009. It’s been a pleasure sharing this parenting adventure with you. Blessings from my family to yours wherever you are in Australia. We hope Christmas is a special time for you and your kiddoes.

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Catherine Oehlman is a SAHM currently being raised by a terrific toddler and a curious crawler. Her background in primary education, love of the mothering journey and compulsion for writing collide on her SquiggleMum blog. Cath encourages other parents from all walks of life to maximise the time they spend with their children.

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