Welcome to the 20 Stages of the Christmas Season If You're a Parent

The Christmas season, while full of beautiful twinkling lights and fun traditions, can be truly overwhelming — for anyone. Once you have children, though, the true stress of Christmas becomes blatantly apparent. There are gifts to buy, glass ornaments to be hidden away for the foreseeable future, Santa stories to, well, embellish, and this is all done with the understanding that neither you nor your partner has slept since the birth of your first child (no matter how old the kids are now).

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, sure, but it's also a roller coaster of emotion for moms and dads. If you have kids, you'll be all too familiar with these 20 stages of the Christmas season as a parent.

01
Thanksgiving ends and all of a sudden every ad on TV is targeting your children.
20th Century Studios

Thanksgiving ends and all of a sudden every ad on TV is targeting your children.

Yes, yes, it’s time to start shopping. Noted.

02
You start the month of December off strong with Elf on the Shelf.
YouTube | BuzzFeedYellow

You start the month of December off strong with Elf on the Shelf.

He hides in a new place every morning, and your kids are behaving so Santa gets a good report.

03
Come the second week of December, your kids are back to normal, and the elf has given up on life.
Logo TV

Come the second week of December, your kids are back to normal, and the elf has given up on life.

Knew that wasn’t going to last.

04
You realize you haven’t started shopping, as soon as your mom friends start talking about all of the toys that are sold out.
20th Century Studios

You realize you haven’t started shopping, as soon as your mom friends start talking about all of the toys that are sold out.

You weren’t going to get your kid a hoverboard anyhow, but it would have helped if you even knew what the hot toys were. And if you started shopping in March.

05
Your Facebook feed becomes inundated with Christmas card photos featuring sweet little babes in Santa hats.
POPSUGAR Entertainment

Your Facebook feed becomes inundated with Christmas card photos featuring sweet little babes in Santa hats.

Your friend’s kid looks adorable in that crocheted elf outfit, but really, who has time to plan all of that?

06
You send out your card of your child screaming on Santa’s lap about three weeks too late.
20th Century Studios

You send out your card of your child screaming on Santa’s lap about three weeks too late.

Hey, at least this way, the card will only be on your loved ones’ fridges for a few days, and your child, who is terrified of Santa, won’t be picked on for too long.

07
You go out to get your tree as a family with the plan to decorate together afterward.
CBS

You go out to get your tree as a family with the plan to decorate together afterward.

But your kids either don’t want to help or are only interested in the glass ornaments that you should probably just say goodbye to at this point.

08
You start getting phone calls from your family members about the Christmas menu.
NBC

You start getting phone calls from your family members about the Christmas menu.

And you realize, a few days before the holiday, that you haven’t thought about this one bit.

09
You frantically start planning a Christmas meal while your kids run around you all day, because, YAY, Winter break!
United Artists

You frantically start planning a Christmas meal while your kids run around you all day, because, YAY, Winter break!

When do they go back to school again?

10
You get your sh*t together with the shopping and finally finish getting a few things for your kids.
20th Century Studios

You get your sh*t together with the shopping and finally finish getting a few things for your kids.

Too bad Santa can’t really help you out in this department.

11
You spend all of Christmas Eve telling your kids to get away from the tree and to please sit down and watch Christmas movies.
YouTube | John Roberts

You spend all of Christmas Eve telling your kids to get away from the tree and to please sit down and watch Christmas movies.

You spend all year trying to get them away from the TV, but today you just can’t deal.

12
It's almost time for bed, so you snuggle with the whole family with everyone in their new Christmas jammies.
Warner Bros.

It's almost time for bed, so you snuggle with the whole family with everyone in their new Christmas jammies.

You make cocoa and read books in front of the fire, and remember just how great Christmas is, once you get past all of the chaos.

13
You slide the presents “from Santa” under the tree after the kids are in bed.
NBC

You slide the presents “from Santa” under the tree after the kids are in bed.

You high-five your partner and crash into bed.

14
You're awoken by screaming kiddos jumping on your face just a few hours after falling asleep.
YouTube | Story of This Life

You're awoken by screaming kiddos jumping on your face just a few hours after falling asleep.

You’re sleepy but so excited to watch your kids open their gifts.

15
You get downstairs, and the sounds of ripping and screaming are the only noises you can hear.
YouTube | raw64life

You get downstairs, and the sounds of ripping and screaming are the only noises you can hear.

You can also no longer see the floor around the tree, and now that you think of it, are your kids under there somewhere, too?

16
You struggle to get your kids into a nice outfit, because, "I'm a big boy and I want to pick out my own clothes" is a thing.
Warner Bros.

You struggle to get your kids into a nice outfit, because, "I'm a big boy and I want to pick out my own clothes" is a thing.

You give up in the end, because this is going to be a long day — why do you even bother buying the outfits?

17
Your family shows up, and the true chaos of Christmas begins.
Fox

Your family shows up, and the true chaos of Christmas begins.

Between getting the kids' table set up and organizing the exchange of interfamily gifts, your once-clean house (ha, just kidding) has become a complete mess, so you decide to just give up. It's all worth it for the glass of wine you'll get to indulge in before one of your children decides he desperately needs you.

18
Your children remain hopped up on sugar for hours, and it seems like they'll never get to sleep.
20th Century Studios

Your children remain hopped up on sugar for hours, and it seems like they'll never get to sleep.

You make a mental note to take all of the batteries out of their new toys, because, man, do you have a headache.

19
You finally get them all to sleep and get started cleaning the house.
20th Century Studios

You finally get them all to sleep and get started cleaning the house.

A messy house means everyone had fun, right?

20
You slip into each child’s room to make sure they’re asleep before you head to bed.
Disney

You slip into each child’s room to make sure they’re asleep before you head to bed.

And you can't help but think, even though Christmas is chaos — and thank goodness it's over until next December — you do love watching your sweet little babes experiencing the holidays.

Until next year.