Surviving Christmas as a Homeschool Mom {Marriage on Mondays}

Let me ask you a question.

 Is your life peaceful during Advent & Christmas?

Is it really a time of joy & peace?

Do you have enough margin in your life to reflect on Christ?

When my kids were young, I thought the answer to those questions was “yes, yes, yes”.  But if I was honest with myself, I realized the answers were “no”. I did not have peace, nor was I surviving Christmas season . . . as a wife, as a mom or as Christ’s child.

We were so busy doing all the Christmas activities, that I fell apart the week before Christmas.  I had crammed so many activities between Thanksgiving and Christmas and didn’t realize the stress I placed on myself.

I wanted to take the kids to the live nativity.
I wanted to bake goodies for our neighbors.
I wanted to make hand-made Christmas cards.
I wanted to attend the Christmas Cantata as a family.
I wanted to enjoy the hayride through the park.
I wanted to go Christmas caroling.
I wanted to watch the local Christmas parade…or better yet, let our kids be in the parade.

And the list goes on & on & on & on!

By Christmas day, we were driving to one of our family celebrations and I was in tears.  I accused Steve of not helping with Christmas and leaving all the Christmas activities to me.  Why didn’t he help out?

If you’ve never plan too many activities, skip this blog post.  Go enjoy your peace & quiet.

If you’re like me, read on to see how God solved this problem in my life, how I started surviving Christmas.

After one of those tearful drives to my family’s Christmas celebration, I listened to what Steve had to say.  He told me that he didn’t want to participate in every Christmas activity known to our town.  He wanted to enjoy our family and our home.

What a concept!  Enjoy each other.

I also realized that I was training my kids to be busy-bees.  I was not encouraging them to appreciate home life or enjoy their family.  If I continued down that course, I would raise kids who were more interested in activities than their family (which includes me).

I needed to change, but how?

We decided to choose 2 activities each Christmas season in which to participate.  The rest of the season, we would enjoy our family, read books, sit by the fire, discuss the true meaning of Christmas.

Did we do it?

Yep, I quit dragging our family to all those extra activities and we started enjoying our family & friends.  It’s been many years since I cried on Christmas Day from stress.  I thank God for my dear husband, Steve, who patiently helped me see what is truly important at this season.

Relationships are absolutely more important than Activities, especially at Christmas.

Our relationship to our kids
Our relationship to our family & friends
And most of all, our relationship with our Lord

What are you cultivating this Christmas?  Activities & Busy-bees or Relationships?

Question: How do you handle busy-ness during Christmas?
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