Alright it’s December. *Deep breathes*
Since we are mothers/women, society has placed a lot of “pressure” on us to do the holidays “right”.
Make the magic for your kids
Think of and purchase thoughtful gifts for all the people in your life
Set and allocate the budget for these gifts
Plan for social gatherings
Prepare food and/or host gatherings
Christmas photos/holiday cards
School concerts
Figuring out what to do for childcare over the Christmas holidays
Coordinating, organizing, planning, shopping, wrapping, doing…
Etc, etc, etc...
And we're supposed to be grateful and cheerful about this…
Because this is the most “wonderful time of the year” after all…
And our holidays should look like something out of a Hallmark Christmas movie…
But the reality is that December is a really exhausting and emotionally charged month for many people…but ESPECIALLY for mothers.
The burden of responsibility around this time of year is unevenly distributed in many homes.
It brings up grief about family dynamics and support that looks different than we hoped
It throws into sharp relief inequalities or issues in relationship dynamics
So what can we do about this?
How can we start shifting things back to peace and joy this holiday season?
Here are two things that would make a big difference this year.
First: what are the top few priorities for your family?
Actually ask them! Have a little pre-Christmas huddle and talk about what are the most important things for them this holiday season?
Then just do that. Ignore the rest of it and scale back. Do what feels good for your family.
Second: what is something that would bring YOU peace and joy this holiday season?
We are often so focused on making the magic for everyone else in our family that we forget about ourselves and what we want!
So really think about that question! What would feel really good for you? There is no right or wrong answer to that question and it’s completely individual.
We talked about this in my Balanced Mom Method Mothers Circle this month and it stimulated a lot of discussion that spiraled into other conversations with other family members too.
Wishing you deep breathes, moments of peace, ease and light as we move deeper into this emotionally charged month.
You’ve got this momma!
Warmly,
Amy
Your dietitian doula
P.S. - Feeling exhausted and overwhelmed as a mom? You may be experiencing postpartum depletion. Take my quiz to find out and learn more.