Anyone else feeling the stress of the season with all the shopping, wrapping, baking, and extra preparations that need to be done for the impending holiday, not to mention all the holiday parties, cookie exchanges, and Christmas light displays that are begging to be seen?

I am a little exhausted just writing about it. This is an amazing, but demanding time of the year. I have a simple question for you.

Does it have to be that way?

I have spent years feeling the constant pressure of trying to get as many fun things as possible into the four-ish weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas as I can, but last year I began to reflect on why.

I was constantly tired, constantly stressed and overwhelmed for what reason?

I realized that I was projecting my idea of what my family needed to have a great holiday season. I felt we needed to do all the activities so my kids could have fun memories.

Too often we assume that our children need all these experiences and adventures to have a great time, but in reality, all they want is your time. In the broad scope of life kids will remember the quality of moments and not the quantity of activities.

This is a time of year that we also let our boundaries slip because we don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. It is ok to say no to things, even good things, even family things. You know your families limits and when one more activity, one more family house to visit is just too much.

Don’t spend another holiday season so busy you miss the simple joys of family. I encourage you to sit and look at your schedule and reflect on what really matters.

How many light displays do you need to see? How many cookie exchanges do you need to attend? Your answer to those questions may look different than mine and that is ok, but what I want you to reflect upon is what is the purpose of all these activities and what do you hope your family gains from them?

Doing less this season will help you find more quality time with your family, more energy for the activities you want to do, and more time to just sit and enjoy what is going on around you.