Christmas has long been a struggle for me. I already dreaded the barrage of commercialism and hectic schedules that pervades the holiday season before I became a mom. 

After children arrive on the scene, Christmas expectations only increase – at least if we allow them to. 

It’s not that I don’t love the message of Christmas, being with family and giving gifts. Rather it was (and still is) too easy to become stressed over an endless list of to-dos as the December days fly by with ever-increasing speed.

This year they’ve seemed to speed by quicker than ever and I’ve needed to be reminded of what’s important in this season.

After sharing ten important things to remember at Christmas especially if you’re stressed, I was inspired to find similar encouragement from others and share my favorites. 

The stories and gentle wisdom shared in the following links remind me to prioritize and see what’s truly important in this busy season and encourage us all to let go of the endless extras.

I’m sharing them with you in case you need to hear the same things. These aren’t lists of what you should be baking or making or buying. They’re real encouragement from real moms who know what real life is like. 

Hope you enjoy! 🙂

If you’re a mom who’s dreading the holidays by Lisa Jacobson. 

I love hearing from moms whose children are older teens or adults; Lisa is one of those moms who shares wonderful encouragement to keep our priorities in place at Christmas and tells us what it is her kids loved best about their own family Christmases.

Why it’s okay if Christmas is sometimes messy and chaotic by Rachel Jankovic.

Rachel walks us through the notion that Christians should have quiet, perfect Christmases and gives us a glimpse into the reality of the first Christmas – reminding us of just what it is that Jesus came to share and why we should make the effort to bring Christmas to our children even if it’s imperfect. 

If you’re a mom of littles stressing about Christmas, it’s okay to let it go by Lisa Jo Baker.

Lisa Jo helps me realize that seasons of life come and go and that it’s okay to give up something at the holiday season even if your friends are all doing it.

When your home isn’t party-ready by Jennifer Schmidt.

I’m as guilty as anyone of wanting things to be perfect for my guests. But how much do we miss out on when we refuse to open our doors in spite of the imperfections?

Why I’m giving my children gifts this Christmas by Emily T. Wierenga.

Emily reminds us that Christmas is an important time to remember those who’ve lost loved ones. And to realize and cherish how much we have today.

5 wonderful experiences we can give our children at Christmas by Ruth Schwenk.

Maybe I can’t afford all the things my children want but I can give them something so much better.

How to stop the holiday gimme monsters by Melissa Taylor. 

Here are some creative ideas for those of us whose children have so many wants at this season. Two ideas I simply love: 1) Having children write a giving list instead of a wish list. I think it would be a great exercise even for myself! And 2) (this one is for myself) display a wrapped box to remind myself to give the gift of my presence!

How we do our non-Santa Christmas by Kristi Bothur.

We don’t do Santa at our home; since neither Kev or I grew up with Santa playing any role in our wonderful childhood Christmas memories, it seemed like a simple decision to exclude him from our own home. Yet I struggle sometimes to explain to my daughter all about Santa in a simple way she can understand. That’s why I love some of the ideas Kristi shares here.


Do you have an inspiring article to share? How do you keep Christmas priorities straight? I’d love to hear! 

Wishing you peace and joy as you prepare for Christmas!