I am really stressed out. Is anyone else really stressed out....
Moms View Message Board: General Discussion: Archive October 2004:
I am really stressed out. Is anyone else really stressed out....
I think it is thanksgiving.
Why do you think it is Thanksgiving?? Gosh, I am having an off day.. LOL I don't understand a darn thing today!! LOL I am going to go make a pot of coffee!!
Are you doing a big gathering for Thanksgiving, Feona? I haven't thought that far ahead yet. My focus this week will just be Halloween and breaking into the chocolate. 
Oh my! Good thing I put that coffee on. I thought she was stressed because she was thinking it was Thanksgiving!! LOL Thank you Eve, now I understand that you feel stressed and you think it might be due to the fact that Thanksgiving is coming!!! Whew.. I need more than coffee I fear!!
LOL, Vicki! See, goes to show you that people always read things differently!
Yep, seriously stressed here but I was blaming Christmas! Whatever it is, it stinks!
Me, Me, Me!!!! Can this weekend be over with???????
I am.I think it is because my children are completely bonkers because of Halloween soon approaching (the extra candy ).
Also Mr.Sun has not been out in quite some time.
Also my one and only bathroom in the house still is not finished and we are having a huge Halloween party Saturday and Dh just informed me he has to work .
Also my whole family will be here for Thanksgiving and I still need to finish Tess` Halloween costume and make 60 popcorn balls for tomorrow !!!!!!! Ahhhhh!
I waited until tonight to try to buy a costume and I almost had a melt down in Party City!!!
People everywhere and we couldn't find a darn thing he liked. I started sweating and had to get out of there.
We did find something at Walmart. Phewwww!
Been stressed out for awhile now. I really dread the Hollidays. It's so comercialised (Bad sp). It's always about who got their kids the best presents and how much you spend. Why can't it just be about being thankful for what you have (Thanksgiveing) and being around loved ones to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas! It drives me nuts.
I love this time of year!!! Yes, it is VERY stressful but I think it's so much fun. I love watching my DS enjoy the holidays and now my DD will get to enjoy them with all of us.
I am soooo excited about Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Eve.
Stressful...YES...Full of Wonderful Memories....Most definitely!
Count me in... hmmm, let's see... DH just started new job and is stressed therefore I have to be stressed. lol... Son has been running fever for four days now and is feeling therefore acting crummy lately causing mommy to go crazy... School is STILL giving me the run around in finding me a site even though I got some hope today, we shall see... I could go on and on but I won't, so yes add me to the list!
Count me in too but I blame mine on the inlaws visiting for two weeks!!! 
Well I just decided I was lucky after reading about the in laws staying for two weeks. Guess I was feeling overbooked.
Add me to the list! I have tons to do today. I
have to go food shopping and finish all my
cleaning and laundry today. My mother in law is coming today. She is coming to watch my dd tomorrow when I have that lump removed.
Im so glad she is coming. I didn't have anyone to watch her that day and no way would a 3 year old sit in the hospital for 5 - 6 hours. Plus I have to lave at 7:20 and my son who is 10 would have had to have been alone until 8:25 when he gets the bus. I was not comfortable with that at all.
10 - 15 min ok but not for an hour. He thinks he big but 10 is not all grown up yet!
I found this article about holiday stress.
Keeping Life Stress Free through the Holidays
by Erin Brown Conroy, M.A.
Before we know it, Halloween - the great day of dressing up - will be knocking on our door. Soon after, Thanksgiving - the great day of filling up - will be spreading out onto our tables. Then comes Christmas - the great day of giving out - and New Year's - the great day of stepping out (into uncharted moments ahead of us, that is). Through it all, the big question during these next two months is, "What can I do to not stress out?"
Holiday Stress
Most of us love the holidays, but let's face it: As a parent, the pace of life during the holiday season is particularly accelerated. We - and our kids - often feel stressed with increased activity, schedules thrown off kilter, and a high amount of sugar finding its way into our veins. Any time we change the hum of regularly-scheduled days, stress rises; but holiday stress is in a category of its own.
Yes, holiday stress is special; and it takes a special mindset to smooth out holiday stress and ride the wave of holiday activity in a way that builds up our child and maintains our sanity.
Dealing with Stress
What do you do when you're stressed? When it's late in the day, you've put out a full day's worth of energy, and your child is whining and pulling on you, how does your particular brand of stress show itself? If we're honest, we'll admit that sometimes frustration, anger, and what my kids call "grumpy face" all sneak in and take over our beings. What we once enjoyed becomes irritating. Our answers are short, our complaining is long, and we just want to go to bed. As a friend used to say, "I just want to ship my kids off to Siberia and take a hot bath."
Nothing against Siberia, but I want to enjoy my children, walking about my day confident and composed, even when stress comes around. So how do I deal with stress in a way that I feel good about myself and my family? Can it be done - especially during the holidays?
Stress Free and Lovin' It
A hearty, "Yes!" is the answer - stress free can happen during the holidays. There are actions we can do and attitudes we can embrace that truly make a difference in the amount of stress that sneaks into our lives. Here are some practical tips to take us there:
Be diligent to not put too much activity into the schedule. Visions of sugar plums aren't the only thing dancing in our heads; we latch onto visions of spending extra time with friends and family, attending parties, and burning up hours shopping. These things aren't "bad," by any means; they're just time consuming, taking our moments and spending them in ways that pull balance from our grasp. Spend your time well, concentrating on a few valuable activities carefully placed on the calendar.
Give yourself extra time between events. Back-to-back is not a good idea when it comes to moving from one event to another, especially during the holidays. For special and regular-life times, think of the number of minutes or hours that you deem appropriate to put between one activity and another (in order to move smoothly from one activity to the next), and then double it. That way, when Murphy's Law pops up and inevitably something goes wrong, you have extra time to deal with the issue. If life goes smoothly, and Murphy stays home, then you have a buffer of time to enjoy with your family.
Talk your child through events before they happen. When you return from Grandma's after a long day of celebrating, don't wait until you're home again and in the house to let your child know that you'd like him to brush his teeth, put on pajamas, and use the potty. Talk about what you're going to do when you get out of the car long before rolling into the driveway. It's the same thing for going to a holiday concert or trip to the mall. Prepare your child's mind and heart for the change, and give him a smooth plan to follow. He's more likely to follow a plan when it's mentally laid out ahead of time.
End before "The Crash." Every child has a limit to what his or her mind and body can take. It's our job to end the activity when the going is good and our son or daughter's still smiling. Pay attention to your child's physical and emotional signs that show that he or she's moving toward his or her limit, and end while everyone's happy.
Take inventory of your inner words and let positive, edifying words create who you are. We all speak to ourselves within our minds. What we say inside our heads influences not only our thought patterns, but it also affects our attitudes and actions. If we anticipate and speak problems, more likely than not, we'll bring those same problems onto ourselves. If we anticipate and speak hope, calmness, and confidence in our ability to cope, we bring positive perspectives and to the situation and tend to make sound decisions. Sometimes we can't change circumstances, but we can surely change our thoughts, attitudes, and actions. Living stress free during the holidays isn't purely up to circumstances; how we react to life and it's inconsistencies during this time is the bottom line to our mental clarity and personal enjoyment.
Take care of yourself. We know that our physical health affects how we feel in our bodies, but let's not lose sight of the fact that physical health (or lack of health) also affects emotional feelings and mental perspectives. Our bodies are beautiful machines, made to function at an optimum level when cared for. Do you want to feel great? Then make sure you get enough hours of sleep, eat well and "graze" on six small meals to keep your blood sugar levels even, enjoy sugary treats in moderation, drink lots of water to keep your system flushed and lubricated, and take high quality nutritional supplements to fill in the gaps. Take walks, get your heart rate up, and move. And don't forget to smile and laugh! The brain releases stress-reducing chemicals when we do these "right" things. Most of us know how to take care of ourselves physically and don't do it. Take care of yourself, and you're more likely to enjoy the holidays with a stress-free body and mind.
Don't let the craziness of the holidays make you crazy. Plan ahead. Be on top, mentally and physically. Keep your thoughts ahead of the game, and do the right things. Smile at potentially-stressful circumstances, enjoy enveloping the evergreen moment, and put puny problems into perspective. And when things do get a bit goofy (because you know they will), look stress straight in the eye and tell it to go back where it came from, because you're too busy enjoying the holidays and your family.
Speaker, Author, and Mom to 12 children by birth, marriage, and adoption, Erin Brown Conroy, M.A., shares wit and wisdom in her books, "20 Secrets to Success with Your Child" (2003) and "My Kid is Driving Me Crazy! 14 Realistic Expectations that Make Parenting Easier" (2004). As a frequent guest on national radio shows, contributor to print and online publications, editor of www.ParentingWithSuccess.com, syndicated parenting columnist, and quoted in newspapers such as The Chicago Tribune, Dallas Morning News, and Miami Herald, Erin's background and experience places her as one of the most knowledgeable, fastest-rising, and trusted experts on parenting today.
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