No one sets out to ruin the holidays for their family. This season is supposed to be the most wonderful, magical, memorable time of the year. Yet, all too often, it can end up feeling like the most hectic, stressful, and sometimes even hurtful time of the year.
So what is the key for how to enjoy holidays with family? There are definitely some things you DON’T want to do. Here are 7 ways to ruin the holidays for your family this year.
1. Focus as much attention as possible on material things.
What really matters most is the size of the tree and the number of presents underneath it. Everything else is secondary.
2. Go into debt if at all possible.
Make sure to spend as much money and charge up as many credit cards as you can in order to make everyone happy. Come January, you’ll be glad you did.
3. Choose to say yes to every opportunity.
Attend every party, program, and event that you can. This will help you stay as busy as possible to fill up your family schedule so that you won’t have to worry about quality family time this month. You definitely don’t want to experience any FOMO (the fear of missing out).
4. Allow family and in-laws to control your schedule.
Don’t try to come up with a workable and balanced game plan for your family holidays. Take that stress off of your plate by allowing others to decide those things for you.
5. Stir the pot when the family is all together.
Take advantage of this opportunity to bring up as much of the past as possible. Make sure to talk a lot about politics. And don’t forget to convince everyone, at all costs, that your opinions and viewpoints are the right ones.
6. Pass on your holiday vacation time.
Who needs that much time off anyway, right? And if your work makes you take the time off, be sure to at least bring some work home with you so you have a good excuse for why you can’t play in the snow or spend some extra downtime with your kids.
7. Make it all about you.
The holidays are a great time to focus on yourself rather than others. Don’t fall prey to the spirit of generosity that surrounds the season. Visiting shut-ins, Christmas caroling, and delivering homemade goodies for neighbors are definitely things of the past that should just stay there. Your time and resources are yours, so don’t forget to use them for yourself before others.
Sometimes, a little satire hits home. Knowing how to enjoy holidays with family is something you can’t afford to miss, so don’t. Identify which of these seven ways holds the greatest potential to ruin your family holidays so that none of these become a reality.
Now for something fun: Check out 10 Great Christmas Stories for Kids at iMOM.com.
Sound off: Which one of these things do you need to protect your family holidays from the most?
Huddle up with your kids and ask, “What are some ways we can make this the best holiday season ever?”