Late Nights and Holiday Parties
For the last 17 years of my life, we have had a family party a few days before Christmas that includes food, games, a white elephant gift exchange, a cousin gift exchange, parent gift exchange and then more games. Honestly, it's a lot but it's what my siblings and I have always looked forward to most!
Stressing about bedtime:
Until I had kids...then it became one of the most stressful parties for me because all I could think about was how I needed to get my baby home for bed. It got to the point where I would dread it for weeks leading up to it, have SO much anxiety during it, and would take a few days to recover from it. Dramatic, I know. But that was me as a first-time mom and I hated it! I didn't want to dread the holidays. I knew something had to change.
I've tried two options over the years and honestly, I feel good about both of them. I won't know which option I'm going to choose until it's a day or two before but I do know I have a plan.
I put my baby down for an extra late nap in the afternoon that day to prepare for a later outing that night. This way I know bedtime can be later and it won't be a big deal! Because of this, I don't stress about it! I don't look at the clock every 5 minutes, I enjoy family time, and whenever we get home I put my baby to bed and call it a day. OR
I leave the party early and don't feel guilty about it at all. If my baby is having a rough day, didn't take good naps, or if my mental health just simply isn't in a good place and I know I can't add an overtired baby to the mix, I simply set an alarm on my watch and when 6:30 rolls around, we head home. I've learned I don't owe an explanation to anyone, and missing out on a little extra party time in exchange for having a happy baby is totally worth it to me. People can judge or say what they want, but I'm the one who takes care of the happy or sad baby the next day, so I get to decide!
go with what feels right to you.
I've done both of the above and I cannot tell you how much better I have felt over the years. I can't tell you how much less stress I feel leading into this (and many other) holiday parties.
The bottom line, do what feels right to you and go with it. It's okay for you to enjoy the holidays and not spend your energy on trying to please other people:) It should be a happy time of year! So make whatever plans you need to to keep it that way.
