Stress-free Christmas tips: Learn how to have a stress free Christmas morning with these Christmas Morning Hacks for Moms.
Christmas Morning Hacks for Moms
Remember Christmas morning as a child? How magical everything seemed, from waking up to the delicious smells of Christmas morning breakfast to the excitement of tearing into Christmas presents that are wrapped in sparkly holiday paper and stacked neatly near the tree?
Who was behind all of that magic of Christmas morning?
You might think it was Santa, but nope.
It was Mom.
I’m sure there were some dads out there who helped, but let’s face it: it’s the moms who stress over trying to make Christmas just right for their kids.
And behind the scenes, so much goes on that it can get quite stressful.
Here are some Christmas morning hacks for moms to have a stress-free Christmas morning. As with anything, to make it as stress-free as possible, some planning before the actual day is necessary.
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What to Have Ready Before Christmas Morning
Before Christmas is even near, these are a list of some of the things you should have ready to go for Christmas morning. These tools and hacks are sure to help you stay stress-free!
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Batteries
Don’t forget the batteries! As you’re buying gifts, make a list of all of the different kinds of batteries you’ll need on Christmas morning. You could even do a search to see if the gift can use rechargeable batteries to keep from having to buy them too often.
Small tools
While you could have some regular sized screw drivers on hand, a small set will come in very handy. You wouldn’t believe how many of the battery doors use such small screws that seem impossible to access with a regular tool!
Be sure to get both a flat head and phillips head screw driver.
Cutting tools
Scissors, utility knife, or wire cutters are often necessary for cutting open boxes or getting through the millions of layers of plastic zip ties and security measures holding toys and gadgets in place.
Garbage bag or recycling container
All that wrapping paper needs to go somewhere, right? Have a garbage bag or recycling container nearby for easy disposal. Clean up as you go so that there’s not a huge mess when everyone is done.
TIP: Use reusable bags or containers for wrapping gifts! Not only are they easy to use for wrapping gifts, they’re also much better for the environment!
Breakfast
You can even have breakfast ready ahead of time! Check out these Christmas morning breakfast ideas, many of which can be made the night before or even a few days before!
Coffee
Chances are, your kids are going to get up quite early, despite being up possibly late on Christmas Eve. For me, coffee is a must. Make sure you have enough. I would not want to be out of it on Christmas morning!
I also make sure I have enough hot chocolate for the kids. It’s part of our Christmas morning breakfast tradition!
Opening Christmas Presents on Christmas Morning
One of my best Christmas morning hacks is to have a routine. It helps to make otherwise chaotic events go smoothly.
It is our Christmas morning family tradition that I get up a little earlier than everyone else (I’m unfortunately an early riser these days), have a coffee, make sure everything is ready to go, and then play Christmas music to signal to everyone else that it’s time to get up.
My husband comes down first, followed by the kids who have to sit on the steps in their matching Christmas pajamas so I can take their annual Christmas morning photo.
I love comparing how much they’ve grown each year in their matching Christmas pajamas!
We find our Shepherd from The Shepherd’s Treasure, who gives us his final message for Christmas morning.
They find their Christmas presents in neat little piles according to child. They may sit by them, but as we tell them beforehand, they must wait until they are told to open any presents.
We go in order from oldest to youngest. Each child takes a turn opening one present before the next one can begin.
Once all presents are open, thank yous have been said, and wrapping paper is discarded, then they can take their presents out of the packaging and play.
It’s a pretty simple routine for four kids to follow, and it keeps us all from stressing out and getting upset.
Waiting patiently to open their presents.
After presents, we move on to our Christmas breakfast and move on with our day. Usually, we have a few hours of downtime before we need to get dressed and get in the car to visit our family, so we play with toys or watch a Christmas movie until it’s time to get ready.
What to Expect from Your Kids on Christmas Morning
It’s easy to assume that everyone is going to be holly jolly on Christmas morning, pouring out thanks as they are filled with wonder of how amazing you are as a parent while playing nicely with their siblings and sharing what they received as gifts.
Yeah, sometimes it just doesn’t go that way.
Even though it’s Christmas morning, kids are still kids. Chances are that they have had a few late nights as the holidays progress, leaving them a tad tired and cranky, even on Christmas morning.
You might have to do some redirecting to get your kids back on track. A short nap mid-morning or a quiet time out for everyone (even a time out for you!) can help to relieve some stress.
Learn to Say No
Do you find that after everything, you still have too much going on? It’s totally okay to say no to any activities or traditions (hello Elf on a Shelf!) that will add more to your list or leave you feeling stressed.
Stick with the basics, which can be just as magical as anything else.
What to Remember on Christmas Morning
Even after using all of these Christmas morning hacks and being totally prepared, it can be quite easy to forget why you’re celebrating Christmas in the first place.
Remember: it isn’t about having a perfect morning. It isn’t about the decorations. It isn’t about the presents.
It’s about love.
A holy baby was born on earth because He loves us. God gave us the ultimate gift on Christmas morning, and we should take a minute to remember and reflect on that.
It’s also about the love of family and friends. Would you do all that you do on Christmas morning if you didn’t love your family?
So even if everything doesn’t go as planned, no worries. Sit back, marvel in everything you accomplished, and enjoy the love of your family.
Do You Have Any Special Christmas Morning Hacks?
Is there something special that you do to have a stress free Christmas? Please share! Leave a comment below.
I hope you all have a magical, stress free Christmas morning with your family!
Catherine @ To & Fro Fam says
These are such great tips! I especially love the point about batteries and something to cut through the plastic packaging. In my family, the kids open their stockings first, then have breakfast, then open presents. That way they get to indulge their excitement but also eat something before diving into gifts!
Marissa says
That’s a great routine! And yes, batteries and cutting tools are great to have on hand.
Andrea says
I love these tips to help make Christmas morning run smoothly. I have made sure to have coffee and breakfast but the cutting tools and trash bags will definitely be added to the list.
Chelsie says
Great tips* Christmas is big around our family because it brings us all together. The scenery is just relaxing, the weather is mostly winter, and the spirits are so happy and bright. We love the joy of Christmas morning, waking to the kids wanting to go through stockings…onto breakfast* then taking turns opening and exchanging gifts. The batteries are always on the list to get, but most always forget! Ugh. Merry Christmas to all this year “