People say that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year but for some parents, it can be one of the most overwhelming ones. Keeping up with the traditions, being afraid to spoil the truth about Santa Claus, and not giving in to your child’s every whim—that’s some tough work.
Still, parents are the magic makers and more often than not, their efforts to create that Christmas cheer can cause hilarious situations. Many moms and dads decided to share some of the funniest—and most real—stories on Twitter.
From the reality of the Elf on the Shelf to silly Christmas lists, here are some of the best tweets showing how parents are trying to keep their sanity during this holiday season. Continue scrolling and upvote your favorite ones!
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We usually think of Christmas as a cozy and cheerful holiday spent with our loved ones. For a lot of people, this is the time to sip wine by the fire, reflect on the past year and enjoy tons of merry and warm moments that come along the way. However, thousands of moms and dads place too much pressure on themselves to create the perfect celebration for their kids, which can lead to burnout.
From running through the stores looking for the most-wanted toy of the year to planning dinners and thinking about how to entertain your guests during the parties, this time of the year can cause a significant amount of stress. If you ever tried to balance your everyday routine with additional holiday tasks and keep the magical holiday secrets hidden from the children, you know it’s hard.
I hope one day the OP has kids so brother can seek revenge with three note instruments and 1000 piece lego sets.
Plus, it’s no secret that kids are demanding. As a parent who has to deal with their requests, your stress levels can get pretty high. But if you want to stay sane and enjoy this Christmas time, there are a few tips and tricks you could try. American Psychological Association suggests some healthy and long-lasting techniques parents can use to make the holiday stress a bit more manageable.
First, strengthening social connections can help you in handling a variety of challenges. This is the time to think about the positive people in your life, because "accepting help and support from those who care about us can help alleviate stress." Lowering your anxiety will let you keep your mind and body healthy, which in turn will help you deal with stressful situations and tackle them with a calm and clear head.
To this day I have not read The night before Christmas. I only know the first line from TV/movies.
Another important piece of advice would be setting realistic expectations for holiday gifts and activities. Don’t try to tick off every single thing on your Christmas to-do list, rather identify the most important tasks and think about steps that are needed to accomplish them.
Just remember, the holiday season is actually short: "We can ask ourselves, what’s the worst thing that could happen this holiday? Our greatest fears may not happen and, if they do, we can tap our strengths and the help of others to manage them," APA explained. "There will be time after the holiday season to follow up or do more of things we’ve overlooked or did not have the time to do during the holidays."
It really is. I own a cleaning business and gift that to my older people every year and they really appreciate it.
Load More Replies...She is a wise woman already at age 14! Mama, you did a great job with this kiddo!!
Anyone should do that. If you can't afford a good gift for Christmas or birthdays don't put yourself into debt trying to. You probably will speak end money on something you can't really afford that they don't need or really want. Instead make little vouchers for them for your time. Like one for an evening babysitting so they can go out for a meal or a voucher for house cleaning or gardening or dog walking. If you can't afford to spend money give your time instead. It will probably be much more needed and appreciated in the long run.
I did this as a wedding present to my friend. She had her wedding at her house so I cleaned it from top to bottom. Baseboards curtains walls everything then helped her decorate. I also love when my daughter organizes or cleans for me too.
Load More Replies...KEEPER!! Best gift Ever!! All I ever got was stanky soap/lotion baskets...🤣🤣
Every Christmas, as my gift, I ask our girls for one day with no arguments…maybe it’ll happen next year. They’re 16, 20, & 24…
All I have ever asked for was a clean house and kids that get along. Youngest is now 30. I am still waiting...
Load More Replies...She should befriend my 14 yr old daughter. I get argument for her to just wash her cereal bowl.
Folks, be patient. The other shoe is going to fall. There’s always an underlying reason a 14 year old suddenly decides to clean their room, much less the whole house. It’s usually something you’re not supposed to know about, but really REALLY should. I may be 61, but I was 14 once, and I haven’t forgotten the s**t I tried to pull, and the other s**t I pulled successfully. I’m also confident my parents were glad I was the youngest (of FIVE!), and the teenage torture would be over, permanently, soon.
Or maybe they just want to be nice? Not all teenagers are rude or have ulterior motives/a secret to hide.
Load More Replies...If you’re stressing out about what gifts to buy your kids, it’s actually not as important as spending time with them. Just try and think about your childhood memories. Of course, you can probably recall some memorable Christmas gifts you received, but I bet the memories of decorating the tree, playing in the snow, and trying to handle the construction of a gingerbread house are much brighter.
Damn...seen this happen in the spook house I worked in. A couple comes through and I do my thing to scare them, the giant,6 foot 6 football player guys BOLT...and their date is left standing there. Once had a woman look at me and say "That mo fo just left my a$$ for you to get...you gonna have to wait cuz Im gonna kill him first". Couldnt help but laugh.
I did something similar but instead of burning them, I donated one, returned one for a refund and gifted one to a family friend.
No more coal. Santa is converting to clean energy. Now you just get wind.
Dr. David Walsh, a psychologist, educator, and author specializing in parenting and family life, said that the positive feelings of warmth, safety, or happiness are examples of "emotional memories." And they "are very powerful and very important. Just as experiences link together different connections in our brain, experiences also wire together emotional connections," he explained.
I hear Santa is also a fan of lotto scratchers and aromatherapy candles, soooo...
While gifts might seem like a big deal to you right at this moment, the greatest present you can give your children is a bouquet of positive emotional memories and family rituals that they will, later on, pass to their families. "Creating family traditions, focusing on the meaning of the season, and carving out time for reflection can help buffer stress and provide a foundation for memories that last a lifetime," Dr. Walsh said.
Even as an atheist, I still like it when people buy me things. It's the thing that binds us all together.
He can play with my toddler, ever since they had me switch him to soymilk, he has more gas then a gas station..
Let’s be real, even though it’s hard to find the balance between being generous and standing up to our kids’ every demand, we still want them to have a good time. There’s always some struggle behind creating that Christmas magic and it’s really good to see that more and more parents are keeping it real and sharing their hilariously honest stories online to help others unwind.
Lmao. Reminds me of the lady who was told her friends husband passed and she sent "lol" back in response. She thought it meant lots of love.
I mean, kids almost always scream when opening their presents anyway... *maniacal laughter*
Clearly, you have a little performer in the making. I hope you get him involved in theater or creative writing classes!
Santa has some bad*ss surveillance technology nowadays. He might start using drones too.
I am CONSTANTLY trying to teach my son about not expecting gifts, being grateful and not to ask for something every time we go to the shops but it's bloody hard. I try to show him with our behaviours but unfortunately with his speech delays and poor memory he doesn't quite understand. Any tips lol.
I can relate, although I don't have kids, I have a dog and my sis got us matching Christmas jumpers.
Lol. A few days before Christmas I just accept my defeat and start drinking.
His kid might have believed it, but I doubt if his wife fell for this excuse to have his own radio controlled monster truck.
my siblings call any amazon box that comes in December 'naked Christmas presents
Actually it's the parents fault for not inviting the neighbor earlier to have this conversation.
That's why we had no tree for the first few years of our kids lives.
Set a rule: Hand in list by the beginning of december. No changes possible.
In Australia we have 6 weeks school holidays over Christmas and new years.
We parents love our kids, and would do anything for them. We would also do anything to get away from them.
Me too. Both marriage and children are overrated.
Load More Replies...Holidays? In my country kids have holidays during summer. Now it is time of Christmas :)
In my country it is summer holidays and Christmas now :)
Load More Replies...The passive aggression is strong with some of these. I get the feeling a number of these parents, no matter whether they're joking or not, harbor some genuine resentment toward their offspring. The "jokes" may not be so funny to the children in question after they grow up; I would be horrified to learn that one of my parents documented -- and mocked -- my every move as a child. That said, let the downvotes proceed.
We parents love our kids, and would do anything for them. We would also do anything to get away from them.
Me too. Both marriage and children are overrated.
Load More Replies...Holidays? In my country kids have holidays during summer. Now it is time of Christmas :)
In my country it is summer holidays and Christmas now :)
Load More Replies...The passive aggression is strong with some of these. I get the feeling a number of these parents, no matter whether they're joking or not, harbor some genuine resentment toward their offspring. The "jokes" may not be so funny to the children in question after they grow up; I would be horrified to learn that one of my parents documented -- and mocked -- my every move as a child. That said, let the downvotes proceed.