How To Keep Yourself Sane This PTO Holiday Season

As we head into the winter holidays, the calendar will be getting busier—with school events and parent group activities, as well as family commitments. Before things get too out of control, take a few minutes to strategize and give yourself some tools to keep from getting burned out.

First off, keep those perfectionist tendencies in check. We’ve all gotten caught up in working on something until it’s absolutely perfect, and then the next thing you know, an hour (or more!) has gone by. It’s OK to make things “good enough” if it gives you more time to catch up with your kids, your household chores, or even your sleep.

Don’t be afraid to ask others for help. No one (except maybe yourself!) expects you to do everything on your own. You’ll have the most success if your requests are specific and take a defined amount of time. For example, you can ask someone to spend an hour putting together the holiday gifts for teachers or filling in at the holiday shop checkout line. Other sources of help include high schoolers who have community service hours to fulfill and community fraternal organizations whose members are often willing to assist.

Along the same lines, be realistic about what you have time to commit to. You’ll probably be getting multiple requests for help from others. Think in advance about what you might have time for—creating a consolidated calendar that shows all of your family commitments as well as your PTO responsibilities is a helpful first step. Set limits for yourself, and be willing to say no (especially if you are already overextended). If you’re not sure, or if you need to buy yourself a little time, a good response is “Let me think about it and I’ll let you know.”

And finally, once the new year is here, do your own review. How did the various projects go? What about volunteer participation? Did your family time suffer or were you able to balance your commitments? Thinking about these issues while they are still fresh in your mind and jotting down some notes will come in handy when it’s time to make plans for next year.