WHEN YOU’RE YOUNG, Christmas is all about Santa Claus, Rudolph and presents under the Christmas tree…

But when you get a bit older, one of the most important things about Christmas is getting a chance to take a breather, take stock of the year and relax. 

Unfortunately, because it’s such a busy time with guests coming and going from our homes, there’s still housework that needs to be done. That’s why this week, we’re looking at ways that you can work without having to stop relaxing, and ways that you can make your Christmas chores fun.

Pretend you’re not cleaning

This may seem like obvious advice, and yet we don’t employ it nearly often enough. Whether sweeping, mopping, hoovering or simply putting things back where they should be, simply treat it as part of the Christmas experience. Have your Christmas playlist going, have a seasonal candle lit, maybe even pour yourself a glass of mulled wine…

Christmas doesn’t stop just because you’re cleaning, so lean into the season even while you’re tidying up. 

Choose the right incentives

Of course, on one level, a clean home is its own reward. On a much more real level, however, we clean better when we’ve got something to motivate us. Depending on what your favour parts of Christmas are — whether that’s queueing up a Christmas film, sitting down for a board game with the fam, or simply opening up the chocolates and seeing what’s on TV, try to schedule your cleaning time right before your favourite part of the day.

Giving yourself something to look forward to while you clean will mean you don’t worry so much about it or dwell on it, because you’ll know that you’ll be having fun as soon as you’re done. If you’re enlisting help from your kids, you can use the same strategy.

Don’t throw everything away

There’s a solid chance that you’re going to end up with more torn-up wrapping paper than you know what to do with in the aftermath of Christmas morning. Even if it can no longer be used as wrapping paper, don’t throw it out! You can instead come up with fun games to play with your kids, such as shredding the wrapping paper in to Christmas confetti, or using it to cover school books and other stationery. 

Make sure you also hold on to any gift bags, such as the kind that come with a bottle of wine. When birthdays, engagement parties or whatever other social occasions roll around, you’ll be glad you have spare gift bags.

Don’t do too much!

As important as it is to stay in the habit of keeping your house in good order, there will be jobs that can wait until after Christmas. Prioritise what matters right now: dishes, laundry, floors will all remain important… But if there are big jobs that can wait until the new year, give yourself some time off.