Have you ever heard the phrase “May-cember?” I just heard it said for the first time this past spring. A friend explained it to me as a phrase to sum up how crazy life gets at the end-of-school-year, like at Christmas time but without the holiday cheer.

School starts in September, then we’re off to the pumpkin patch in October, and then all the eating and gathering holidays get here faster than we ever expect them. While there’s lots of fun to be had, there’s also lots of potential for holiday stress that can add up too. It’d be impossible to say “Yes!” to every single form of holiday fun and celebration - it’d be a recipe for parental burnout for adults, and our kids. Both as a parent and as a teacher, I’ve seen myself falling prey to illness easiest when I have been stressed, tired, and overworked. That’s the last thing any of us wants during the holiday season!

Luckily, we don’t actually have to stress ourselves out trying to do all of the things for every single holiday. We get to stop and gauge what we want and what’s realistic, for our family and our energy level, and find ways to simplify the holidays that still give us lots and lots of joy despite doing less during the holidays