11 Parents on How They Keep Holiday Stress to a Minimum

For many parents, the magic of Christmas comes wrapped in festive traditions and seeing the joy on their children’s faces on the big day, but behind the scenes, it’s often paired with a hefty dose of stress.

From scouring the stores for the best gifts to orchestrating family gatherings, the pressure to create the perfect holiday can be overwhelming.

In fact, research proves that the holiday season can be a significant source of stress for parents. A poll conducted by the University of Michigan found that nearly one-third of parents cite stress from extra shopping, holiday tasks, financial strain and efforts to keep family members healthy during the winter season. What’s more, one in five parents said their stress levels take away from their children’s enjoyment of holidays.

Newsweek spoke to 11 parents who are cutting through the chaos to create a (relatively) stress-free Christmas by doing what’s right for their families.

11 Parents Cutting Through Xmas Chaos

Alex Payetta, 34, mom of two, pregnant with her third.

“I have divorced parents and in-laws that all live in the same city. Instead of running around to a bunch of different houses to please everyone, we started hosting. This allows us to still see family but not feel like we have to coordinate four different Christmas gatherings. When our youngest was born, we set a family holiday schedule that we stick to every year so there are traditions in place. Christmas morning is sacred over here—immediate family only. The rest of the holidays we can spend with everyone, but this time is just for us.”

Anne-Marie Zanzal, 40, divorced mom of four.

“Plan ahead. Make sure everyone knows what the plan is for Christmas [and] which parent they are going to spend time with on which days. Do not leave anything up in the air. Make sure to make alternative plans, because holidays alone can sometimes be hard. Especially if we are used to a lot of people around.”

Nicole Magelssen, 31, mom of two.

“What has helped us save stress isn’t a time management trick… it’s been setting correct expectations for ourselves. We don’t need to attend every event we are invited to. We don’t have to travel to see family if it doesn’t fit for us that year. Another big stress-saver for us has been creating traditions that work for our family right now. Traditions can be flexible. They don’t have to look the same every year or be time-consuming or expensive to be meaningful. Giving ourselves permission to let go of perfection leaves more time for what really matters: making memories with our kids and actually enjoying the season.”

Laurel Smith, 31, mom of three.

“For our family, we simplify by focusing on creating traditions that center on connection rather than busy schedules. One thing that helps is having a ‘no extras’ rule for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day—no errands, no commitments beyond immediate family. This creates a peaceful space where we can truly savor the joy of the season together, uninterrupted. We limit gifts to just a few meaningful ones for each child—something they’ve truly wanted or that encourages family time, like a board game or a shared experience. We also prioritize simple traditions, like baking cookies together or reading Christmas stories by the tree on Christmas Eve. These small rituals create space for connection and remind us of the true heart of the season.”

Christopher Mannino, 44, dad of two.

“We do gifts in batches on Christmas morning. Open some, then play with them a while before opening more. Spreading out the gifts really helps extend the joy and increase the calm.”

Natalie Trice, 50, mom of two.

“We don’t travel at Christmas because, being in Devon [England], the M4 [highway] can be an absolute nightmare during the holidays and getting back to London is a headache. What should be a three-hour journey has taken us eight hours before, and honestly, it’s just not worth the stress. Instead, we love chilling out at home, enjoying the beach, and taking some much-needed downtime. It’s a chance to truly relax and embrace the festive season without the chaos of travel.”

Sarah Lloyd, 47, mom of two.

“Don’t indulge in Elf [on the Shelf]. I think one of the best things we did was to not indulge in too many traditions because guess what kids notice if you don’t do something one year. We made the conscious decision not to invite any naughty elves into our house, more because with one of our daughter’s birthdays being so close to Christmas, there is enough going on. Luckily, very early, on the girls decided they didn’t like the idea of someone coming in our house late at night while we were asleep, so we decided as a family we didn’t want a troublesome elf causing havoc while we slept.”

Nicole Bateman, 36, mom of two.

“We try and make Christmas as stress-free as possible by planning ahead to meet the different sensory needs of our family. Stress is a trigger for my son’s seizures so therefore it is extra important to ensure a low stress and low demand Christmas. We use visual schedules to maintain routines, make sure we have breaks, bring sensory tools to help my children stay regulated and ensure we have safe foods too.”

Karen Burke, 54, single mom of one.

“I am a single mom to an adopted daughter who has ADHD, so routine is paramount over the Christmas period and have traditions we have every year. We also have separate times of opening presents so not only can she thank those who have given her the presents but also so it doesn’t become so overwhelming for her and me (who has to write all the names down for the thank you cards). Something [else] I have taken forward is not looking at [her] stocking until 7 a.m. and that means she’s not up too early and already tired out for the rest of the day’s festivities.”

Sarah Campus, 33, mom of three.

“I get the kids involved as much as possible, then I can empower them saying that they did certain jobs and they will feel proud [such as] laying the table, handing out gifts or helping to decorate. I try to keep to key routines as much as possible and stick to mealtimes and nap times to ensure happy children, even if it means adjusting the schedule slightly. I also have healthy snacks around at all times to keep blood sugar levels stable as no one wants cranky kids at Christmas time.”

Florence Weber-Zuanigh, 35, mom of two.

“As a neurodiverse family, the level of stress we go through week on week is not something we want to increase around the holidays. My husband has ADHD and we have two children, including a neurodivergent tornado. The Christmas mental load falls mainly on me so I try to spread it out.

“On Christmas day, we put mattresses in the living room, and we spend the day in our pajamas opening presents, watching Christmas movies, napping and enjoying some nibbles throughout. It feels very low stake and definitely the most relaxing day of the year for us four. The family isn’t always thrilled but we’re allowed to enjoy our Christmas too without the stress and guilt.”