The tree is in the living room, Christmas tree lights are glowing warmly, and the Xmas holiday preparations are well underway.  The children already have begun to open the windows of their chocolate filled advents calendar, and adults have begun to make gift giving lists and are busily checking them twice.  Santa suits are rented or dusted off, travel plans are confirmed, and weather patterns are anxiously watched for possible storms that may jeopardize air traffic.  On television we are once again treated to our all time favorite movies and many a family incorporates the midnight mass into their holiday plans.  While this idyll speaks of the Xmas holiday many families enjoy, it does not speak for all.  For some, the hustle and bustle of the season threatens to overtake the joy, and excitement quickly gives way to stress and frustration. 

For a relatively stress free Xmas holiday that the whole family can enjoy together, consider making decorating the Christmas tree a family tradition.  Turn off the phones, don't worry about the chores, and just allow the children to do the lion's share of the decorating.  You probably want to supervise their putting up the Christmas tree lights, and perhaps you want to be on hand to put the angel or the star on the highest point of the tree, but other than that, let the children be excited and follow their lead.  While a kid decorated tree most likely will not win a prize from any leading interior decorating magazine, and while you probably will end up with some branches that are drooping because of the six or seven ornaments that decorate them, as opposed to the other branches all around that are left bare, it will make for a wonderful Xmas holiday memory for the children - one they might perpetuate with their families when the time comes.

Another method for keeping the holiday stress at a comfortable distance away from the family is the idea of purchasing a pre-packaged holiday meal.  For roughly the same amount of money that it would cost to prepare a big meal from scratch, many grocery stores will offer the convenience of selling a complete holiday meal with all the fixings.  You will not longer have to linger away in the kitchen while the family is enjoying themselves, and you will not longer have to get up before dawn to get the turkey or ham ready for the oven.  Instead, enjoy yourself together with the family, have a glass of eggnog, and then make a quick trip to the store, and lunch (or dinner) is served!

Of course, no Xmas holiday is complete without presents.  While you could spend long hours at the shopping mall braving the crowds, it is much less time consuming to do your holiday shopping on line.  Considering the many great bargains the Internet offers, and also many a free shipping offer, all you need is a piece of plastic for payment, and then sit back and wait for the wares to arrive.  Wrapping can, once again, be done with the children who will love to wrap the presents for the family and then gloat over the fact that they know something another family member doesn't, namely what's in their package under the Christmas tree!