Help out with the household chores. An obvious tip, but important nonetheless. Mams are particularly fussy when it comes to chores around Christmas time, especially if you’re expecting visitors or hosting dinner. Although she’ll insist upon cleaning the house until it’s sparkling, unloading the dishwasher or ironing a pile of laundry without being asked will put a smile on her face.
Be helpful when it comes to shopping. It must be stressful for your mother to ask someone what they’d like for Christmas, and they reply “I don’t know”. Letting her know what you would actually like as a present, and helping her decide what to buy for other family members reduces time spent frantically searching in a crowded shopping centre, which nobody wants to do at this time of the year.
Help with the “boring” stuff. Once December hits, everyone is keen to help put up the tree and decorate the house, making other tasks seem less appealing. By helping out with the gift wrapping, or stamping card envelopes, you are reducing your mam’s workload immensely. It makes for a nice bonding experience too so the more family members involved, the better.
Do the small errands. Even if it is something as simple as going to the shop for mince pies or to the post office to send out cards, your mam will appreciate it as she’d probably forgotten about it trying to get everything else done.
Make her a cup of tea. As stereotypically Irish as it sounds, the one way to really help your mam out, particularly in the stressful days leading up to Christmas, is by handing her a comforting cup of tea. Make her as many as you feel necessary to make sure she stays calm for the holidays.
Michelle Townsend
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