With Thanksgiving in just a few weeks and Hanukah or Christmas right around the corner, I feel the collective of loving mothers inhaling with anxious breaths. The holidays are coming which triggers of long lists with “to dos” in our minds. We may be asking ourselves, “How do we give our families the presence of peace during this holiday season?”

How am I going to get this place in ship shape with work and the kids? We stop, look around, and wish we were “Jeanie” with the magic of the nod to make everything spic-n-span. As we look at a calendar, we pencil in all the soccer or volleyball tournaments and exhale letting out all the stress associated with creating the perfect holiday for our families.

Let me save you from high blood pressure and share with you the secret of holidays with your children. DELEGATE the cleaning, ELIMINATE the word perfection from your vocabulary, and take my advice; your children truly only want YOU for the holidays. Yes, gifts are great, but when it’s all said and done and they grow up and fly away, all they truly remember is the fun and the love you provided. They don’t remember the gifts. They remember the fun of family games, the family conversations full of laughter, and the love floating around like a warm blanket wrapping around them.

As a mom who has daughters still finishing college MBA’s and PhD’s, the memories that they bring up of their holidays past are the dinners we made together, the laughs, and the time we spent just sitting with each other catching up. So as you look at your bank balance online, hear that little voice in your heart reminding  you to do the best with what you have, and remember that your children only want to feel a connection and your love at the holidays.

Think about the things you wish you could purchase or provide, and use your creativity to plan a similar version. For instance, go to the local pharmacy store and produce some photos of you together from your favorite moments and find a reasonably priced frame. Consider their favorite things in life and find them in the form of socks, photos, or charitable causes such as sponsoring an archaeological dig, purchasing their own star from the galaxy, or saving a whale. These organizations help protect the knowledge and actual animals with these purchases. There are also discount stores to purchase toys and decorations as well as items to make ornaments in order to capture their precious age.

As I get excited about my grown children arriving home from the east coast for the holidays, I think back to the times when money was tight. I recall the family game nights, baking cookies, and purchasing gifts for others less fortunate with the memories of delivering cookies to the firemen and boxes of food to our neighbors. When you make these a priority in your holidays, they remember and do the same as they become adults. We still enjoy deciding which cookies to bake for our neighbors and firemen, purchasing gifts for others, and revel in seeing the smiles and happiness on others.

I guarantee that the only things they will want to reenact are the laughs while baking and playing games, the love during our conversations during our homemade dinners, and the cuddles on the couch or in bed while watching our favorite Christmas movies. Since our theme in life is to be healthy, wealthy with love, and wise, we rack up the best ideas we can, purchase the most wholesome food we can find that matches our pocketbook, and enjoy finding items that mean the most to them and their loves in life.

The holidays are upon us, but what are you going to do about it? Are you going to let negative aspects of low checking accounts get you down and go crazy trying to create perfection, or are you going to sit with yourself and make a loving plan for your family? It is really all about your mindset. Set your mind on the fun, love, and smiles of the holidays and get ready to see them show up. May your holidays be full of love and happiness.

Please follow and like us: