So, December is well and truly here. My social feeds are full of images of people’s perfectly pruned trees and Santa visits, and my social life resembles that of pre-kids me (but my bank balance certainly doesn’t! 😩).

This brings a whole new dimension to my ongoing need to juggle through life as a parent, as the list of things to remember or commit to has doubled:

• Writing gift lists
• Buying gifts for half a million people (which I tend to complicate by spending ages trying to find the best deals online, then comparing in store)
• Decorating the house – making sure the decorations coordinate!
• Writing cards
• Checking I have he correct addresses! (Note to self – if you don’t know if someone has moved house in the last year, you might need to move them off your list)
• Dates for school performances
• Permission slips for school trips
• Packed lunch for said school trips
• Clothes for school Christmas parties (why can’t they eat and dance in uniform?!)
• Own clothes days (always increase in the run up to a Christmas fair. Why??
• Chocolate/booze donations for the fair
• Sorting childcare logistics around my post-work social events
• Reminding hubster about the above mentioned logistics
• Planning the logistics of Christmas dinner
• Planning the logistics of trying to meet up with friends and relatives
• Making sure we spend time as a family amongst all the other madness

And that is the challenge, so perfectly summed by cheesy ‘chic flick’ Bad Moms Christmas. There is often so much going on in the run up to Christmas, that it can be so easy to live life passing each other like ships in the night, focusing on pleasing others, instead of just being us.

So, I’m trying to make sure we find time to spend quality time together. Yes, I know the Christmas Eve to Boxing Day tend to be family focused days, but I really want it to be about the kids and what they want (within reason) rather than what I think they want.

So if Boy1 wants an extra duvet day to watch rubbish films and eat take away on our pyjamas, that’s what we’ll do. Because I know in a few years, that’ll be the last thing he wants.

Thinking back to my childhood, it’s special moments I remember, not whether our tree was an original Norwegian spruce, or if the baubles were handmade. That’s what we need to remember in this social-media driven, FOMO inducing world.

If people think I’m being a ‘bad mom’, that’s fine, as long as my kids know I’m trying to be the best mum I can be.

So, however you are doing Christmas, be sure to do it your way.

Have a good one!! 🎄

X

Ps – hubster took me to watch Bad Moms and it was actually quite fun. Not too cheesy for him to regret the extortionate ticket prices!