When you are a full-time working mum or maybe running your own business, the extra work to make Christmas perfect for the family can be just another headache. In fact, it’s probably the reason I dread Christmas so much. But rather than be a slave to tradition I’ve flipped a few of them on the head. Taking short cuts is how the wheels of this household keep turning! And this is how…
The Internet is your best friend and cyber shopping in 2014 is easier than ever. Most good retailers have luddite-proof shopping portals including a format for mobiles and tablets, which means you can sneak some shopping in during your lunch break without setting foot in a shopping centre. You don’t even have to break the Amazon boycott. Etsy, Oxfam even Marks and Spencer have decent ethical track records, great on-line stores with plenty of gift possibilities. Of course the added bonus of internet shopping is you’re not subjected to the same 10 Christmas songs bleating out from the store radio!
Give the kids the gift of time instead of cash. If my 3 and 6-year-old daughters are anything to go by, you could buy them a £10 toy they’ve seen advertised on Disney Jr. and you’d be the best parent ever. Time and time again they prove to me that ‘special’ most certainly doesn’t mean a hefty price tag. With our busy work and home life, scheduling family days out isn’t the easiest so instead of the trendiest it-toy-gadget, which will be forgotten by February, we put the budget towards a family excursion.
Buy less. Most of my friends agree that we’d rather go out for a meal together than buy gifts for each other. We all have plenty of family members to buy for, one particular mate of mine having enough siblings, nieces and nephews to send her bankrupt! Our family started doing Secret Santa a few years ago and although some of the older generations took some time to grasp the concept, it works really well. There’s even a Secret Santa Picker website for the geographically dispersed family.
Image courtesy of “Christmas Hat On A Plate” by Apolonia at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Book Christmas dinner out. Probably a little bit late to organise this one but well worth considering in the future. On balance it’s not cheaper than having Christmas dinner at home, by the time you factored in restaurant booze prices but it certainly does slash the Christmas workload significantly. Set menus can range from £50 - £110pp that does blow the budget somewhat but can appeal to busy working parents, especially with younger children. Rather than spending disproportionate amounts of time on intricate preparation for the traditional Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, there’s time to actually converse with one another and no one has to do the washing up! Plus you’d still be home in time for charades, brandy and Quality Street. Of course the tricky part is finding somewhere that is open on Christmas Day but some country pubs are if someone is willing to drive.
Don’t send cards. Are Christmas cards really necessary? Perhaps there are a few people on the list who warrant a proper card made of paper but does everyone appreciate it in the same way? Could you cut your carbon footprint and make an e-card instead? By the time you’ve written a card, addressed and stamped it you could have created bespoke e-card for each of your mates. Or even one of those novelty videos where you stick your face on some dancing elf? You can avoid indulging a group of fading tax-evading pop stars by buying BandAid30 purely to appease your conscience by donating your Christmas card budget to organisations such as DEC who have been pleading for cash to fight the Ebola spread long before any one else. You save time, people laugh at your missives and a worthy cause gets a cash boost.
Be selective with your Christmas gatherings. I will never understand the imperative of trying to socialise with your entire address book ‘before Christmas’. Last time I checked it is physically impossible to split yourself in half to be in two places at once, so being selective isn’t being cliquey, it’s essential for your bank balance and energy levels. What’s the point of having kids if you can’t use ‘childcare issues’ to get out of social occasions you’re not that fussed about?
Get your homemade fix in a tick. Customising Christmas can be very satisfying but the temptation to take on fabulous, unrealistic projects is too great and leads to unnecessary work and stress. (I do it nearly ever year, so this bit of advice is for me.) Hunt down 2-3 quick and easy things to make (with or without the kids, I’m not much of a craft with the kids person). I use this simple biscuit recipe and add my own seasonal adjustments, such as cinnamon and ginger, or cardamom and orange. You can even freeze the dough and it bakes up well later. Martha Stewart Living has helpfully collated these, which look pretty straightforward and fun.
Don’t panic. It’s only Christmas. My husband works shifts, so we’ve learned not to hype the day up too much because for him, it could be just another workday. And the added guilt, which comes with being a working parent, can mean you try too hard, knacker yourself out and enjoy it less and less each year. What’s the point? My new Christmas mantra is, “I will not get sucked into Christmas perfection” and plan fewer, simpler but still memorable things with the family.
