Things Not To Worry About This Christmas

Anniki Sommerville - 19 Dec 16

Is it just me or is everyone feeling weary and a bit depleted at the moment? Each friend I bump into is slumped over her buggy, shoulders sagging, face drawn and tired. The first thing she tells me is how pooped she is. Then she tells me how many people she STILL has to buy presents for. Then how she’s sick of having to think about EVERYTHING. How Christmas is one big consumer rat-race and she wants NO part of it.

The year has been long (or does it just feel that way?) The mornings are dark and five thirty wake up calls feel particularly harsh. Sometimes it seems like the day will never end. Nerves are shattered and the weight of Christmas responsibilities threaten to topple us over sideways like a gaudy,  over decorated Christmas tree.

So I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you the things that you really DON’t need to worry about.  Scrunch your shoulders up round your ears and then let them fall. Breathe.

Here are the things that you definitely don’t need to worry about over the Christmas season…

• The turkey/nut loaf/‘bird inside a bird’ will taste sublime (or if it doesn’t then it’ll still be better than the food you ate as a child at Christmas)
• The presents you’ve chosen will be appreciated and if they’re not then you’ve done your best and they can always be returned
• You’ve sent just the right amount of cards
• If you’ve chosen not to send cards that’s also right
• That person who you didn’t send a card to doesn’t care (or if they do then are a bit petty)
• The fact that you haven’t used Pom Poms to decorate your tree doesn’t  make you any less of a person
• The fact that you haven’t booked to see some sort of epic Theatre/cinematic performance this year doesn’t matter either
• Having a good time all the time isn’t obligatory
• Feeling overwhelmed is normal
• The nursery/school teacher /Mum at the school gate doesn’t hate you
• Your estranged relative isn’t secretly glad that you aren’t speaking
• The fact that your Gingerbread house fell apart if okay
• The fact that you’re arguing more with your partner is okay (it’s normal)

This year has taught us lots of things. Some of them are lessons we didn’t want to learn. There are of course, plentiful reasons to feel worried right now but the nitty gritty of Christmas, the ins and outs of present buying/family relationships/school activities – these just aren’t worth it.

Scrunch those shoulders up to your ears and let them come down. Hold those you love close.

Anniki Sommerville

I'm Super Editor here at SelfishMother.com and love reading all your fantastic posts and mulling over all the complexities of modern parenting. We have a fantastic and supportive community of writers here and I've learnt just how transformative and therapeutic writing can me. If you've had a bad day then write about it. If you've had a good day- do the same! You'll feel better just airing your thoughts and realising that no one has a master plan. I'm Mum to a daughter who's 3 and my passions are writing, reading and doing yoga (I love saying that but to be honest I'm no yogi).

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