Christmas is a season of joy—after all, we’re celebrating the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace. It’s meant to be a time of wonder, worship, and truly being merry. But somewhere between the gifts, gatherings, homeschool rhythms, and the constant noise and overstimulation, we tend to lose that joy. The to-do lists get longer, the expectations get heavier, and before we know it, the peace we long for feels out of reach. If you’re craving a stress free Christmas, you’re not alone—and it is possible with a little intention.
Here are simple, realistic strategies to help you protect your peace, your home, and your family’s joy creating a stress free Christmas.
1. Create Christmas Wishlists (and Don’t Feel Guilty About It!)
Wishlists aren’t greedy—they’re boundaries disguised as clarity.
It’s completely normal for friends and family to want to love on you amd your kids. And we should let them! In fact, it’s a gift to them, too. People want to give! A wishlist makes sure:
- Gifts don’t clutter your home.
- Items actually serve your child’s interests.
- Loved ones don’t waste money.
- You avoid the “Oh… thank you?” moments.
So go ahead and make a wishlist for your kids—and for yourself too (you deserve it!). I like to keep it simple with a list of three items for each: a want, a need, and a like.
Another thing I do is when we’re out shopping or traveling and my kids ask for something, instead of buying it right away, I snap a photo of the item and save it to a folder on my phone. This way, I’m building a wishlist of ideas while avoiding in-store tantrums or meltdowns.
2. Limit the Number of Gifts
Gift-giving is beautiful, but quantity can spiral fast.
Let grandparents, aunts, and friends enjoy giving while still setting gentle limits. You can say:
- “We’d love 1–2 items.”
- “They’re really into experiences this year!”
- “Edible gifts are perfect—no clutter and everyone enjoys them.”
It’s loving, respectful, and keeps your home manageable.
3. Find a Home for Everything Right Away
The fastest path to overwhelm is letting things pile up—especially after gifts have been opened. Kids often carry toys from room to room, decorations get left out, and little items can quickly take over your home. Giving each new item a ‘permanent home’—a designated spot where it belongs until it’s used—makes a big difference.
Even better? Declutter before the season so you’re not trying to fit more into an already-full space.
Small habits like this help keep your home organized, reduce stress, and make it easier to enjoy a truly stress free Christmas.
4. It’s Okay to Say No to Events (Truly!)
You don’t have to attend every party, parade, cookie swap, or tradition. Say yes to what fills your family and brings joy—say no to what drains you.
That being said, a tiny PSA from a mom with a December baby: these kiddos often get overshadowed through no fault of their own. While their siblings might have big birthdays, December is just so busy that celebrations can get lost in the shuffle. If you can, try to make their birthday special—it will mean so much to them (and to us moms too we are taking the time in our busy schedules to make their birthdays special)
If you’re like us with multiple December birthdays, throwing one collective birthday is enough and maintains a stress free Christmas season.
And mama… if 25-day activity calendars, Advent crafts, elf on the shelf, book advent are overwhelming, skip them. You can celebrate meaningfully without doing everything. A simple daily devotional (find our favorite here) is enough to keep the focus on Jesus and have a stress free Christmas.
5. It’s Okay to Pause Homeschooling for a Bit
Learning doesn’t disappear just because workbooks do.
Reading Christmas books, baking cookies, writing gift tags, crafting handmade ornaments, craft fairs, and volunteering are rich, real education.
If you step back from formal lessons for a week or two—you’re still learning.
6. Prep for Wrapping Paper Chaos
Christmas morning can turn into a tornado. Have a few bags ready for wrapping as soon as presents are opened. Trash and recycling get handled instantly, and your living room stays inviting, not overwhelming. I also love scheduling short “clean-up sessions” between opening presents. Not only does it help keep the room tidy—wrapping paper, boxes, and new toys under control—but it also gives kids (and let’s be honest, adults too!) a chance to pause, breathe, and regulate their excitement before diving into the next gift. Even a few minutes of order and calm between rounds of presents goes a long way toward creating a truly stress free Christmas where everyone can enjoy the day without feeling frazzled.
7. Take Your Vitamins (Yes, Really!)
You’re doing a lot.
Take your multivitamins, keep up with your water, and don’t skip your probiotics—because with all the extra treats, sugar, snacks, and rich foods, your gut needs support to keep things moving and your energy stable.
If possible try a metabolism reset. I really like Plexus 3-day fast, that resets your metabolism and cleanses while delivering needed nutrients. You can find it and other supplements here .
8. Balance Indulgence With Movement
Fresh air is grounding and energizing. Plan a few active family outings:
- Ice skating.
- Neighborhood light walks.
- Winter hikes.
- Christmas village strolls.
- Sledding.
Activity helps mood, digestion, sleep, and stress levels — for both you and your kids.
9. Between Christmas & New Year’s: Focus on Tidying, Not Deep Cleaning
One of the best ways to set yourself up for a calm holiday season is to tackle your deep cleaning before December 15th.
Deep cleaning is December 1–15 work, not December 24 work. By getting major tasks—like floors, bathrooms, and closets—done early, you free yourself from last-minute scrambles when the holiday chaos hits. This is not the time to suddenly decide your baseboards need scrubbing.
Between December 15th and Christmas, just focus on simple tidying, light resets, and restoring calm after the holiday excitement. Planning ahead like this makes small daily tidying habits manageable and keeps your home welcoming, helping you enjoy a truly stress free Christmas without feeling buried under chores.
10. Declutter & Organize in November
One of the best ways to set yourself up for a calm stress free Christmas season is to start decluttering and organizing in November. By tackling closets, toy bins, and storage areas before the holiday rush, you create space for the new gifts, décor, and seasonal items that will enter your home.
Start small & simple like your purse or car, a drawr. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s to create order so you can breathe and prevent feeling buried under clutter when December arrives especially with new things coming in
Not only does it make finding a permanent home for new gifts easier, but it also keeps your living spaces feeling calm and inviting—key ingredients for a truly stress free Christmas.
11. Keep Meals Simple
December is not the time for gourmet cooking every night.
Make life easier with:
- Soup + bread nights.
- Crockpot meals.
- Rotisserie chicken shortcuts.
- Freezer meals.
- Charcuterie board dinners.
- Sandwiches
- Oatmeal
Simpler meals = less stress which ultimatlet leads to stress free Christmas (and a healthier one!)
12. Set a Holiday Budget & Stick to It
Money stress is real during the holidays. Set a budget early for:
- Gifts
- Activities
- Décor
- Food
- Travel
A clear plan keeps impulse buys from snowballing.
Tip: Try tracking expenses so you can start setting money aside starting January for a stress free Christmas wallet next December.
13. Choose a Few Meaningful Traditions
You don’t need to do everything Instagram shows you.
Pick 2–3 traditions your family genuinely loves and let everything else go. A peaceful home is better than a full calendar.
- Daily Devotional (our favorite book is here).
- Shepherd on the search (follow our journey here)
- Advent Calendar (we do advent houses)
- Baking for friends and family
- Christmas play
- Sunday School Christmas Party
14. Prep Quiet Moments for Yourself
Christmas is loud and stimulating—for moms especially.
Build in tiny reset moments for yourself:
- Tea by the tree after bedtime.
- A morning devotional.
- Five minutes of breathing.
- Plan a shower or bath with decent amount of time.
- A walk alone.
- Listening to your favorite Christmas music.
Your nervous system needs breaks, too. After all stress free Christmas doesn’t just happen .
Remember: Simple Christmases Are Often the Most Magical
Kids don’t remember perfection.
They remember:
- Warm homes.
- Present parents.
- Little traditions.
- And Most Importantly Feeling loved.
Christmas is, at its core, a season of peace and joy. Jesus arrived in the quiet of a humble stable, not the chaos of a crowded palace. His birth brought shalom — a deep, whole, steady peace. That same peace is meant to fill our homes today.
But when we, as mothers, push ourselves to the point of exhaustion, irritation, and anger, we unintentionally crowd out the very thing Christmas is meant to celebrate. No child remembers the “perfectly magical Christmas” as much as they remember a mom who was calm, present, and gentle.
The Bible speaks clearly about the posture of our hearts (and I am saying this to myself as well):
- “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” — Luke 2:14 Jesus came bringing peace. If our Christmas loses peace, we’re missing the heart of it
- A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” — Proverbs 15:1 It’s better to slow down and be gentle than to escalate into yelling in the name of getting everything “just right.”
- “Be angry and do not sin.” — Ephesians 4:26 Stress happens — but we’re called not to let it overflow into sin
- “Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife.” — Proverbs 17:1 It is better to have a simple Christmas — fewer activities, fewer expectations — than a full calendar and a stressed, overwhelmed home.
Your children don’t need a mother creating the “perfect holiday.”
They need a mother whose heart is at peace. That is the Christmas they will remember.
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