Why am I feeling so stressed this holiday season???? My then-two-year-old on Christmas morning in 2007. He was in time out. I think I might need a time out. Photo: Patricia Vollmer
Several of us have been lamenting on our GeekMom writers’ discussion board about how much more hassled many of us seem to be this holiday season. We each have unique stories, which we’re courageously sharing with the web world today and tomorrow, and I was glad to know I wasn’t the only one who was feeling more hassled than usual this year.
Our family has several traditions — some of which are from my family, some from my husband’s family, some we’ve made up since our sons came along. For for past decade or so, many of our traditions just fall into place every season. Even with military deployments (1997, 2003, 2008) making things a little more stressful than usual, somehow everything got done: the decorations, the cookies, the cards, the shopping! In 2010, our family moved from Nebraska to Florida over Thanksgiving, and we STILL got everything done!
We didn’t even think too hard about it — it was a pleasure to do it all, we looked forward to each tradition.
This year we have no deployments impeding our family, but my husband is still recovering from back surgery from late October. Yet, for some reason I seem to be missing the boat on the spirit of the holiday season and I’m getting all stressed out over “having to do” the traditions.
What’s wrong with me this year?
[Not in the mood for Christmas this year? Join the crowd. And to see what Patricia Vollmer and other stressed-out parents are doing to make sure they have Survivable Holidays this year, go to GeekMom!]
