"We've been putting up decorations, taking them down, and then putting new ones up again. We've made grocery lists for our normal weeks, and then entirely different lists for holiday parties and dinners. We've made side dishes and desserts for every holiday gathering we've attended. We've shopped for gifts and for stockings and for teachers. We've crafted and we've baked and we've planned. We've watched everyone's favorite holiday movies and bought everyone holiday pajamas and outfits."
"It's over. The anticipation, the excitement, the countdown - it's all done, and it's all strewn about your living room. It's hard not to feel bummed about it, especially when you've poured so much into everything. But the one thing that keeps me from spiraling into a post-holiday meltdown is remembering that this week is just for me, that the week between Christmas and New Year's Eve is for all the moms."
The days between Christmas and New Year's offer mothers a restorative pause after months of continuous holiday labor. Mothers juggle decorating cycles, multiple grocery lists, party menus, baking, crafting, gift shopping, and coordinating family schedules alongside school and work commitments. Holiday traditions, new rituals, and household responsibilities require sustained energy from mid-September onward. The post-holiday week permits slow mornings, casual meals assembled from leftovers, and watching favored movies without schedules. The week functions as soft, unstructured time to breathe, recover, and enjoy family presence without additional errands or obligations.
Read at Scary Mommy
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