How to have a stress-free silly season

Tis the season to be jolly! Christmas is a time for fun, get-togethers, and celebrating the silly season, but as many parents know, it’s also a time for stress. There’s a lot of planning and spending that goes into Christmas time, but it doesn’t have to be a stress-fest.

Here are my top tips for stressing less this silly season and having more fun.

Make a list, check it twice
This is completely old school, but it never fails. Sitting down with a glass of tea (or wine!) on a Sunday afternoon and doing a complete brain dump will have you feeling less scattered and like your ducks are in a row. Make a list of all the gifts you need to buy, events that are happening, and parties you have to go to, and make sure everything is out on the paper, in the diary and not whirling around in your head. You’ll feel so much lighter, and 100% more organised.

Shop while the kids are with a babysitter
Once you do this, you’ll never go back! We love shopping online, it’s a game-changer, but there are still things you need to do in person. Book a babysitter using the Kiddo App for an afternoon, grab your girlfriends, and hit up the shops to do all the last pieces of your shopping. It’s a fun way to shop, and a much faster way to get things done kid-free!

Shop the sales
Saving money is always a good idea, and with sales happening all the way up to Christmas now, it’s a great opportunity to snap up a bargain, and spend less this silly season. The best way to not miss a sale is to subscribe to your favourite shop’s emails so you’re the first to know when a sale starts.

Book a babysitter in advance for Christmas parties
Christmas is prime season for get-togethers and celebrations, so lock in your sitters early so you’re not hunting for childcare at the last minute. You can book a babysitter through Kiddo in all the capital cities and holiday locations, so you can snap up your babysitter early and focus on having fun with friends and family.

Have a wrap party
Forget Christmas Eve stress wrap sessions, and take an afternoon with your favourite movie, and get your wrap on. Ask your partner to take the kids out, or ask grandparents to take them for the night, or even book a babysitter from the Kiddo App to take the kids to the park for a few hours, and you can smash through all the wrapping stress-free.

Make time for you
There is no doubt that it’s hard to get through this time of year without feeling a little frazzled, so make time for you. Whether it’s a walk, a catch-up with friends, or a cheeky massage. Look after you, and make yourself a priority, and remember… you can’t do everything!

Ask for help, and actually accept it
Are you hosting Christmas lunch this year? Don’t feel like you have to do it all. Assign jobs for everyone. An idea we love is writing out on post-it notes everything that needs doing, including tasks like ‘set the table’ or ‘top the pavlova’ and put them all on the fridge. When people come in and ask, “How can I help?” point to the post-it notes and tell them to pick one, so they can get straight to helping with what they choose. Brilliant, right?

Set a non-negotiable or two
Time flies when you’re juggling all the Christmas baubles, so set some non-negotiables for Christmas time. If you love a beach swim on Christmas Day, set it as a non-negotiable, that whatever happens on Christmas Day, you’ll need to have a dip in the ocean at some point. Perhaps you love a peaceful Boxing Day, so say it how you want it. Tell people that Boxing Day is reserved for resetting and doing nothing so all invitations will be (politely) declined.

About Kiddo
Kiddo is an on-demand babysitting booking app that connect parents to babysitters instantly. Available in all major cities across Australia and popular holiday hot spots, parents are able to find verified babysitters, nannies and NDIS carers for a sneaky date night or two and even for on-going care. Most importantly to ease all concerns, Kiddo babysitters have their ID verified to government records and their Blue Car/Working With Children Check.