Every year I buy at least 5 magazines featuring holiday ideas, tips and time saving recipes. Each year there is at least one article or tip section in each magazine that recommends we take time for ourselves during the holiday season to ensure the maintenance of our sanity. This is a great idea but how do you really do that?

When my kids were very little it was hard enough to take a bath because that would have to be coordinated with naptime which was fine when there was only one baby in the house but once our second was born it seemed that neither one of them ever slept at the same time as the other. And even when they did go down for a nap there was so much confusion as to whether to let the baby sleep on his back, side or stomach that I would spend most of nap time watching my babies breath. Even today, 10 years later, I love watching my kids sleep. They are so peaceful and calm.

Besides the sheer mechanics of what to do with the small kids to make sure they are safe and entertained while we take time out for ourselves there are so many other distractions. Laundry, meals, holiday gifts to buy - wrap - ship, bills to pay, house to clean, story time and a million other distractions keep us from that time to ourselves.

I don’t have any answers to finding time for ourselves other than keeping the holiday schedules simple and keep expectations realistic.

The holidays are magical for everyone but especially kids and I want to make sure that my kids enjoy the magic of the season. But every year I find myself starting out the holiday season struggling with this. Every year, for the past several years that I can remember, the lead story on the news on the day after thanksgiving has been about shoppers being trampled trying to get to the best deal at the local discount store. It is so discouraging. We do want to give our kids everything - but how is waiting in line for 7 hours to save some money on a big screen tv going to benefit them?

Again, no answers provided to this heartache but it does make me want to spend more time than money on my kids this season.