The days and weeks before Christmas can be a combination of emotions for the entire family: anticipation, worry, excitement, and disappointment. Of course, each family is different and all experience separate circumstances. Some families are rich, some are poor, and some fall in-between.
This doesn’t mean your Christmas can’t be amazing though; we can make what we can out of each situation. The best advice for parents this Christmas might be to just make it full of love, even if you can’t afford to fully cram each stocking on the fireplace. But in order to make yourChristmas a little less stressful, we’ve got the following tips…
Shop for Bargains
Look out for sales at all of the top retailers; these might be announced a couple of weeks or even a few days ahead of their start. This could provide you with the opportunity of finding a few bargains, which in turn could reduce your overall Christmas spend. Think about what food you are going to need over the festive season too, as some long life products may be cheaper now than a few days before the big day. If you aren’t having any luck in the shops, why not try the internet instead?
Embrace the Internet
Bringing your children round the shops can be a chore in itself in the non-Christmassy months, but it can be nothing short of a nightmare at this time of year. There are lots of distractions and crowds of people; it can end up feeling impossible even with military-like planning! For that reason, many parents are fonder of the Internet than ever before. Just think; you can pick all of the presents you need from the comfort of your sofa once the kids have gone up to bed!
The magic of the season comes from spending time together though, so get your family to gather around the Christmas tree and attempt some carols; or grab some blankets and settle down to watch a classic Christmas film.
If you are struggling to communicate with your teen, Relate for Parents have trained counsellors on hand who are trained in family counselling and relationship issues. Visit the website at http://www.relateforparents.org.uk/ .
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