Letter From Ms. Jenn: Too Much Stuff to Do!

Sometimes it just feels like there is not enough time in a day.  Not enough time to just stop and enjoy a quiet day at home.  Is this because there isn’t enough time or do we, as a society, have too much to do?  I recently noticed this during Halloween and it seems to carry through the whole holiday season.  Parents seem overwhelmed with all the activities there are to do; there are parties at friends' and family’s houses, school activities, a neighborhood get together, church festivities, and things that are happening in your town.  It is hard to decide what takes priority and what to say no to.  You don’t want your child to miss out on anything but at the same time you feel they are missing out on spending time alone with you.

So what do you do?

First we all have to learn that it is ok to say “no.”  This is very hard for many people.  We don’t want our children to miss out on things or we don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings so we say yes to too many things and stretch ourselves way too thin. This leads to us feeling tired, stressed, and irritable and sometimes not a very fun person to be around.  So do yourself and your family a favor and say “no thank you.” It may seem hard at first but it gets easier and you will feel better having some time to unwind.

Next, make family time and down time a priority and decide what you can say no to. Prioritize things that are most important to you and your family and say no to the rest.  Instead of going out, stay in and have a game day or make a living room tent and read stories.

I remember when my kids were little and having to say no to things and feeling guilty that they were missing out on something. Looking back now I remember how much fun we had hanging out together and how important that time was to our family and our bond that we share together.  Every family is different and requires different things, find out what works best for your family and try not to worry too much about all the other things that are going on.

I found this article that I thought was interesting and thought I would share it with you. Remember that family comes first and that it's always okay to say no.