Is there a way to truly simplify Christmas? Since having kids, the holidays have come with this added pressure. I’m trying to remember all the traditions, and make room for new ones. I want it to be magical but also not take away from the true meaning of Christmas. It doesn’t take much to feel overwhelmed as soon as December 1st hits.
Everywhere I look there’s a new way to walk through Advent and then there’s Christmas crafts and my goodness what are we going to get them this year? It’s a lot.
Something put things in perspective for me this year. I asked my kids what they got for Christmas last year. Two of my kids couldn’t remember anything, and one of them remembered a new hair brush. Sooo… perspective shift is in order for how much emphasis we put on their gifts.
With that in mind, they most likely won’t remember next year what we get them this year. Keep reading to learn with us on how to simplify Christmas.
I Long for Simple
I long for a simple Christmas. One that is not rushed, but slow all throughout the day. Slow enough to soak it all in. Slow enough to breathe and enjoy it. But with little ones and all the things that Christmas brings, I really had to take some time and plan out how to simplify Christmas this year. There have been things we’ve implemented over the years to do so, but this year I just am longing to be even more present and not feel so pulled in different directions. A plan was needed for sure.
With all of these thoughts in mind, let’s go over how we can simplify Christmas and make it meaningful this year.
10 Ways to Simplify Christmas this Year
1. Decide how many gifts to buy and stick to it
This will look different for every family, but I’ve realized that giving less means more. This year we are going to get the girls a family experience gift, and let them each pick out one gift for each other. We started doing this a few years ago and watching the girls pick a gift for their sisters is such a joy to watch. It has also helped turn their heart towards giving because they get to see how good it feels to give. I don’t think there’s a right or wrong number of gifts, but whatever will simplify this for you – I’d aim for that! And while you’re making your gift list, be sure to set your budget. Stick to both and gift giving will be simplified this year.
2. Say no
If anyone has FOMO during the holiday season, it’s this girl. I love any excuse to have a party or gathering and hate missing them. But I’ve realized that when we over commit and try not to miss out on anything, we end up missing out on some really important memories. If we are hopping from one event to the next, we could miss out on some precious time at home. Say no when it makes sense for you, and you’ll have a much simpler Christmas.
3. Plan ahead.
If it’s not on the calendar – it ain’t happening. I can go with the flow, as long as the flow is on the calendar. There are a number of Christmas traditions and things my girls love to do in December. But if I don’t plan them out, they most likely won’t happen. This year I made a list of what our family loves to do in December, and I scheduled out our favorite things (with the help of Simply on Purpose). This way, I’m not constantly trying to figure out when we’re going to squeeze in those special traditions and activities.
4. Gather the gifts early.
A huge Christmas stressor is gift giving. Deciding what you’re getting will be your biggest hurdle, but going to get the gifts can also be stressful – especially if you wait till the last minute. Don’t get caught in the stress that shopping can bring. Gather your gifts early and enjoy the process of picking out something meaningful for your loved ones.
5. Look back and adjust.
Think about your Christmases in the past. What were the stressful parts and which parts did you enjoy? Evaluate which events/traditions were more stressful than enjoyable, and don’t do those this year. Sometimes we commit to things and go to things just because we think it will be fun, but then it ends up being full of stress and not worth the hassle. Adjust your expectations for what this holiday season will look like, and focus on the things that truly bring your family joy. Not just the temporary happiness that happens when your children open their gifts – but focus on the things that will mean the most in the long run.
6. Give experiences over gifts.
One big way to simplify Christmas is to focus on experiences over gifts. I love giving experiences to our kids because it’s a long lasting gift. Not only will it last longer in terms of time, it also creates more memories. Some ideas for these could be theme park passes, a trip to the zoo or aquarium, or some camping/hiking gear for future outings.
7. Daily reminders of why we celebrate.
It’s easy for kids to get wrapped up in what our culture tells us Christmas is about, but it’s also easy for us as parents to get caught up in it as well. There are a million and one options out there for what to do with your kids throughout Advent, but there are two that we loved last year and we’re doing them again this year. The first is Gifts of Togetherness by Simply on Purpose. She has a printable of fun, yet simple activities to do with your kids this Advent season. I picked the ones that made sense for us, printed them out, and the girls get to pick one thing a day for the month of December. The second thing we are doing is going through Treehouse Schoolhouse’s Connected Christmas. This guide is designed to be used for the three weeks leading up to Christmas. Everything we have used from Treehouse Schoolhouse has been wonderful, and we especially love using Connected Christmas. I don’t think there’s any right or wrong way to remind your children of why we celebrate, but it always helps me to have a plan laid out for me.
Simplify Christmas with Simple Gifts
It can be so overwhelming to pick out gifts, so I don’t want to add to that. But if you’re looking for some simple, yet useful and fun gifts – here are a few great options that we have used and loved:
Walking through Christmas with our kids will never be done perfectly, but we can set ourselves up for a simpler Christmas this year. It does not have to be what culture tells us it is – stressful and overwhelming. It can be a beautiful time to walk through Advent as a family, and remember why we are celebrating. This can be so hard when our kids are little and opening gifts is their only focus.
When gift giving comes up in our family, we try our best to redirect the conversation. We love giving gifts to our children, but I also know that spending quality time with them fills their cup just as much as a gift would. One thing we’re adding to their stocking this year is a coupon book. It’ll be filled with things like this:
- Stay up late with Mom + Dad
- Bake cookies
- Daddy date night
- Trip to the ice cream shop
- Picnic in the park
- Movie night – your pick!
- Park day
- Game night
All of the things listed above are intentional ways to remind our kids that we love spending time with them. This is another area I sometimes need help in, and these little coupons will be fun for the kids and a great reminder for me to slow down and spend some good quality time with all the girls.
Whatever you choose to do this holiday season, my prayer and hope is that this article will remind you that above anything else – our kids long for our presence more than anything else. The excitement of gifts will fade over time, sometimes much quicker than anticipated. But memories are built on time together. I hope you have the best and simplest Christmas yet!
