On the Eleventh Day of Parenting - 12 Ways Parents Can Relax This Season

Hello and thank you for hopping over from The Newby Tribe and welcome to the 11th day of #12DaysOfParenting. Today's sponsor is Plyt who are offering a Plyt Board Game and the theme is 12 Ways Parents Can Relax This Season. My keyword to enter today’s giveaway is in this post below, good luck! Full details of the #12DaysOfParenting terms and conditions can be found on the #12DaysOfParenting page and all entries are to be completed via the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

Parenting is can be stressful. Christmas is stressful. Put the two together and it's a recipe for a full on grown up meltdown.

I'm not very good at relaxing. There is always something to do, and if I stop, it's probably because I've fallen asleep. So it's not really hypocritical of me to try to tell you how to relax - I'm talking to myself as well!

I asked my best friends and the Hubby to help me with this post. I'm in too deep to see the way out of this stress hole my children have dug me into. The perspective my friends gave me was sorely needed.

So, without further ado, here are our 12 relaxing ideas for parents at Christmas:


1. Play "What would you do if Mummy passed out?" This is both relaxing for you and educational for the children. Provide them with a piece of paper on which you have written your address and the number for the emergency services. Lie down and snooze while the kids pretend to call ambulances, etc. I almost suggested handing over the phone so one of them can record it for feedback later, but then I remembered that the sneaky little critters would probably end up practising their newfound skills for real!

Not me

2. Look aghast at your children’s bedrooms and wonder aloud that you don’t know how Father Christmas will be able to get in there to leave presents when it’s so untidy. “How would you feel if Santa tripped and broke his leg?!” Then suggest that no one returns to the lounge until their bedroom is perfectly tidy. That will buy you at least an hour, if not a whole morning, of quiet time alone. If you’re particularly lucky, they will get bored of tidying and play instead, and you can use this one again after lunch, or even the next day!

3. Rope in a babysitter. Grandparents can be particularly helpful for this, especially if you sell it as an opportunity to do fun Christmas activities with the kids. This works really well if you send them the article that’s been floating around recently, about how looking after your grandchildren can prevent dementia.  Don’t forget to express your disappointment at not being able to join in because you have important, yet boring, grown up business to attend to outside of the house.

Not me - I'm the prequel

4. Loudly suggest that everyone helps out with some jobs around the house to get ready for Christmas. You will suddenly find yourself surrounded by silence, in a room devoid of children. Enjoy.

5. Play any game that allows you to be the boss and be obeyed. Cinderella is a great one, and of course, you will be the wicked stepmother. My girls will do anything I tell them when they’re Cinderella. Queens and servants is another good one. Or Genie of the Lamp, where they are the Genies. Or, to make it seasonal, Father Christmas and the Elves.

6. Con your other half into taking the children to an exciting Christmas event happening nearby. You can do a swift tidy up of the lounge and enjoy a coffee in peace and quiet. Remember to spray a cleaning product around a couple of rooms so it smells like you’ve been ever so busy. A bin bag beside you, with a few bits and pieces of rubbish in, will add to the desired effect.

This could be a good place to nap...

7. Make use of that enormous laundry pile and get the children to pile it on top of you, while you lie down. To add to the excitement, pretend you’re a sleeping elf that they’re burying, so they have to be extra quiet to make sure they don’t wake you.

It's more relaxing if
Mummy does the painting

8. Play beauty parlours. Paint your children’s nails, then insist that they must sit very still and quiet for a long time so that the varnish can dry properly. Et, voilá! Ten to fifteen minutes of no one hitting anyone else.

9. In a continuation of the above, you be the client and get the children to give you back and foot rubs and head massages. They’re not professionals, but it’s better than nothing.

10. Netflix and chill. No, it doesn’t mean that anymore. Not now you have children. It’s more like Netflix and spend the evening running up and down the stairs to deal with whichever child is crying or wandering around. Or Netflix and fall asleep five minutes into the show. No - Netflix and chill now means putting on one of their Christmas offerings - may I recommend Arthur Christmas - and taking a little snooze on the sofa, whilst snuggled up with the kids under a blanket.

11. Diazepam, marzipan? Which one are you supposed to put on the Christmas cake again?

12. Who are we kidding? It’s virtually impossible to really relax at this time of year. Just remind yourself that there will be another Christmas next year. Make an empty promise to be much more organised, then sit back and enjoy the chaotic fun that is parenting at Christmas.

Today’s Codeword is: SHERRY

If you would like to read another post and gain another entry, then head over to The Butterfly Mother for their take on 12 Ways Parents Can Relax This Season.

To enter the grand prize draw, head over to 12 Days Of Parenting where you can also find all the #12DaysOfParentingPosts so you wont miss any!

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