Remember being a kid during Christmastime? It was the best, wasn’t it?

Candy, toys, decorations, parties, and general merriment fell into our laps as if by magic. We never stopped to think about the people who worked tirelessly to orchestrate the whole magical production for us. That is, until we became them.

Now that I’m going on my fifth Christmas as a mommy, I know that the holidays can be either magical or maddening for a young family. Whether the season is a success or failure depends, to an extent, on how you play it.

Allow me to offer you some do’s and don’ts, from my home to yours.

Don’t: Take Stock in Stocking Holders:

Do you enjoy festive words like NOEL, LOVE, or HOPE spelled across your mantle, holding your stockings? Or, if you’re not into letter-art, perhaps a few lovely Reindeer or Snowflakes? Well, I hate to break it to you (break being the operative word), but your expensive stocking holders will either break into pieces on the floor, or - even scarier – hit your little ones in the head when they engage in their daily game called PULLING DOWN THE STOCKINGS.

Do: Purchase Sticky Plastic Hanging Hooks

Report to Target, Walgreens, or any craft store this holiday season, where you can purchase clear, adhesive hanging hooks. Space them apart and lay’em flat on the mantle, near the edge, then hook your stockings. This way, little hands can’t pull them down. (When you are ready to take off the hooks, they will not strip the paint on your mantle.)

Don’t: Be A Santa Snob

Long lines are not your friend, Mamas, so avoid popular Santas at popular times. No matter how prepared you think you are, it’s going to Get. Real. in that Santa line—and the more children with you, is not the merrier. If you diligently bring snacks to keep everyone occupied, then someone’s going to mix that snack in his saliva, spit it out, and rub it on his face, combed-hair, and Christmas sweater. Meanwhile, somebody who is wearing three layers of clothing and a diaper is going to poop – and guess what? You’re only half way through the line.

Do: Choose the more convenient Santa, not the more popular one.

Go at the less popular time (super early) and at the less popular location (you know, the mall down the less beaten path or the lesser-known Santa spots, like the ones in certain retail stores). So what if everyone else’s children are pictured with the popular Santa at the fancy mall? When it comes to bearded fat men holding your children, does it really make that much of a difference? Go EARLY, Mamas, and remember: “Don’t be a Snob, Avoid the Mob.”

Don’t: Fear the “Bah Humbug” RSVP on holiday E-vites

It happens every year. The moment that your colorful rum & cider cocktail begins to reflect your mood: RED RUM. You’re about to go crazy navigating the land-mines of yet another holiday party with the kids. As you reach toward the Pinterest-worthy snack table to make plates, you hear your baby crying in the carrier. His cheeks are flushed red. Was it the frigid winds outside? Or the fact that he’s now heating up like a pig-in-a-blanket under your host’s heater? Oops—a furry vest was not a good choice for your 3-year-old. She is rushing toward you, Spinach dip smeared in its fluff. You abandon your glass of red rum on the Pinterest table - you don’t have time for a cocktail.

Do: Be realistic about how many events to attend, and remember the reason for the season.

The humble message of Christmas is a good anecdote for a time of year that often overwhelms little ones. So sing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus. Get out the children’s Bible and quietly read the Christmas story. Buy the Fisher Price “Little People” nativity scene and let your children play.

This holiday season, the pressure is off. Forget about perfection. When your merriment plunges quickly to stress, frustration, or all-out panic, remember to take a step back and consider what this time of year is really about.

It’s about thinking you got the perfect Christmas card shot, only to realize someone is picking his nose. It’s about your toddler pulling Christmas ornaments off the low branches of the tree and sticking them into your dog’s fur. It’s about burning the sugar cookies, running out of wrapping paper, terrifying your baby with visits to Santa, finding endless specks of glitter everywhere from your carpet to your hairline, and coming to understand the true meaning of the phrase “slow as Christmas.”

It’s about time spent together as a family. And in spite of everything – or maybe even because of it – it really is kind of the best, isn’t it?

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