Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year but let’s face it it can also be the most overwhelming too! Adult children coming back home with their children can be chaotic for all involved. We long for a peaceful and sacred Christmas where we are able to focus on the birth of Christ. In our state of overwhelm, it’s hard to even visualize how to go about making the dream of a meaningful Christmas happen. Never fear, here are 3 tips for a Peaceful Holiday with adult children, from a mom of six.
Pour yourself a cup of hot chocolate, turn on some relaxing Christmas music and grab a notebook. Let’s go down memory lane…
- Start with prayer, ask God to show you how to have a peaceful holiday focused on Him.
- Write down three of your favorite Christmas memories and make sure to take time to write down why they were so special to you.
- How about the worst Christmas, write down what was so bad about it.
- Dream a little and write down how you would like Christmas to feel and look.
- Make sure to communicate your holiday vision with your spouse.
3 Tips For A Peaceful Holiday With Adult Children
COMMUNICATE
The key to any successful family event is to communicate expectations, details, and anything that will be happening that is out of the ordinary. I find that a group email works best so that everyone else can express their needs and concerns. Good communication flows both ways so listen to what your family is saying. Make sure to answer the what, when, why, where, who, and how. Even what the expected attire is. (Guaranteed to get lots of comments from your adult children.) Do you have any family members with special needs or food allergies? Ask what they need you to have on hand to make Christmas as peaceful as possible for everyone involved.
SHARE THE WORK
I know you want to enjoy every single moment with your family and still have time to worship the birth of Christ. You will not be able to do that if you are working all the time. Tell the truth and ask for what you need. If you need your adult children to help with setting up and bringing food. Make sure to communicate that with your children. This would be another important item to include in your group email. When hosting, our family supplies the meat, a couple of sides and a dessert and each person brings a side dish or a dessert to share. I like to make my side dishes ahead and freeze them as well as things like breakfast casseroles so I can make worshiping Christ and spending time with my family a priority. Local family comes over early to set up extra tables and chairs and anything else that needs attending to. Many hands make light work. Everything is flexible, for example, my sister-in-law’s father had a stroke this Fall, she is a busy mom and wife and is also tired and exhausted. We are not asking her to do or bring a thing, we are just longing for her company.
SERVE
Meeting the needs of your adult children when they come home can be delightful. A little forethought and good communication will make this incredibly enjoyable for everyone. Ask yourself what would make their stay peaceful, memorable and make them feel loved? Make a trip to the grocery store with your list in hand and pick up their childhood favorites, diapers for the grandkids, special toiletries for your daughter-in-law. As believers in Jesus, serving is mandatory but it doesn’t need to be overwhelming. Biblical hospitality is a joy, it’s not about fancy food and perfect decor but rather love.
YOUR TURN…
How do you create a peaceful holiday with adult children?
Blessings,
- Follow The Peaceful Holiday Series at gatheringaround.com for more helpful articles about keeping the holidays peaceful.
