9 Tips to Combat Holiday Stress and Actually Enjoy Yourself as a Parent

While the expertly wrapped gifts, homemade delights, Pinterest-worthy decor, and pleasantly smiling children all make for a great Hallmark movie, the reality is often far from it, and that's perfectly OK. It's easy to set unreasonably high standards for ourselves as parents and forget that our kids (especially the young ones) don't have the same lofty expectations. You don't want to get so wrapped up in the stress of creating picture-perfect moments that you miss out on the thing that matters most: cherishing time with your loved ones. All that to say, be realistic about what you can accomplish. The handmade pie can wait.