Holiday Hacks for Busy Parents (That Make a Hectic Time Fun)

Holiday hacks for busy parents

The most wonderful time of the year is also the busiest time of the year, especially for parents with small toddlers at home. There's decorating, cooking, baking, gift shopping and wrapping – and that's on top of keeping up with already busy kid schedules and household chores. So finding a shortcut or a clever hack is good, and we mean it Real good – is in itself a huge gift.

To save you some sanity this busy season, we've put our favorite holiday hacks into a saveable and shareable list. Enjoy!

Cup delicate ornaments

There are the school-made ornaments, the keepsake kind, and the breakable ball kind, but all three types of ornaments need love when it comes time to prune the tree. To keep your decorations intact, give little ones a wide-mouthed plastic cup that they can hold under fragile decorations as they walk from the storage bin to the branch. If securing it in place is a two-handed job, children can work together by having one child hold the cup underneath and the other child secure the hook in place. Even better, the cups can be used in a container or box to prevent delicate ornaments from touching and possibly breaking.

Psst… Check out the 2024 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in NYC – A Preview of What Families Can expect

Hot glue your gingerbread house

It can take hours before gingerbread houses are ready to be decorated with candy. If you're not willing to tackle this family tradition in two sessions (because your kids are melting down because they just can't wait to add the gumdrops), you can whip out your hot glue gun to speed up assembly. Apply a drop of hot glue to the inside corners and wait for the glue to dry completely on each side before continuing. Once it's good and firm, use the icing to cover up any visible glue and attach the candies as normal.

Skip the gift tag step

Writing out gift cards can quickly become tedious, not to mention there's never really enough space. Save yourself a step and frustration by giving each family member their own wrapping paper pattern (or color scheme if you need to mix patterns) so you can skip gift tags altogether.

Send Santa back with toys

The of a big guy known for supplying new toys to the good boys and girls, but the (new) legend has it that he needs used toys at the North Pole so he can recycle the parts in his workshop (wink, wink). If it's time to make room in your child's playroom or bedroom for big-kid toys, share this story to make it easier to part with what your child has outgrown.

Email wishlist photos

The toy aisle is no place for children, but sometimes you have no choice but to drag them along if Christmas shopping ever needs to be done. When your child starts whining and begging you to buy him or her something before the Christmas gifts are redeemed, let him/her use your phone to take a photo and email it to Santa. Type Santa in the TO field (it will be bounced) and later you can check your sent messages for the product information if you want to complete it yourself.

Send your elf on a mission

If your family has an elf on the shelf, chances are you could use a break from coming up with clever places to position it day in and day out. When this time comes, write a note explaining to the kids that Santa is sending their elf on a special holiday mission and that he will be back as soon as possible so you can enjoy a few days less to do.

Put a blanket in the car

When the weather turns bad, it doesn't hurt to have a warm blanket on hand to put over the kids before the car reaches a more comfortable temperature, but it's also hugely useful for hiding gifts. Keep a large one in your trunk so that if you need to pick something up on the way to school, you can do so without spoiling any surprises. Just throw the blanket over the gifts and your kids will be none the wiser.

Make festive pancakes

Want to add some holiday cheer to your breakfast routine? When you're not baking with them, metal cookie cutters are a quick way to make your pancakes more cheerful. Spray the cutters with nonstick cooking spray before placing them on the baking sheet, then pour in your pancake mix and remove the cutters when you are ready to flip.

Charge the batteries in advance

With all the toys that spin, flash and move, stocking up on batteries before the holidays is a must these days. Instead of just keeping them on hand, consider putting them inside the toy before packing it up. Your kids will love that everything works right out of the box and you'll save time fiddling with a small screwdriver when all you really want to do is enjoy their smiling faces.

Plan family traditions

This may sound like work, but in reality it is a way to ensure that you all enjoy the fun. Make your list of holiday must-dos (think ice skating, building gingerbread houses, baking cookies and more), then decide the best day and week for each activity and add it to your calendar. If you have a plan in place, you're less likely to regret it on January 1st.

Track gifts year after year

Make a note on your phone to keep track of what you give to each family member. Create a section for gift ideas and check off when you've actually purchased something. This will not only help you remember what you ordered last Sunday night at noon with blue eyes, but it will also give you a record that you can look back on every year.

While the kids probably don't think about what they unpacked last vacation, your MIL may appreciate not opening the kids' slippers for three years. It is also a way to come up with gift ideas. That personalized blanket you gave to your aunt two years ago could be the gift you were looking for for your nanny this year.

Psst… Check it out The best 16 Cut your own Christmas tree farms Near NYC