Between Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year, you\u2019re crazy busy. And if you\u2019re married, that might mean the holidays take priority over your spouse for two months of the year.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s easy to fall into that trap. But the last thing you want is for the holidays to sabotage your marriage. And since this time of year is notoriously stressful and hectic, keeping an open line of communication with your spouse from Thanksgiving to New Year\u2019s is more important than ever.<\/strong><\/p>\n You both want what is best for your family\u2014and each other. But when you\u2019re trying to schedule Christmas parties, order gifts for your kids, and get the house ready for your visiting in-laws, you might forget your spouse is actually your teammate.<\/p>\n But here\u2019s the thing: You\u2019re going to have a better, happier holiday if you make sure to prioritize your marriage during the holiday madness. Your family and your relationship with your spouse will be better if both of you are on the same page and working together\u2014instead of running in opposite directions.<\/p>\n Here are three specific things you and your spouse can do right now to keep your marriage in perspective . . . and keep the seasonal stress at a minimum during this busy time of year.<\/p>\n Sit down with your spouse and set realistic holiday expectations for your family this year. The keyword here is realistic<\/em>. You don\u2019t have to say yes to every party or attend every extended family gathering. Don\u2019t feel like you have to try to cram everything<\/em> in. If that means something has to give, so be it. Letting some things go this time of year will help you both keep your sanity . . . and actually enjoy\u00a0<\/em>the holidays.<\/p>\n Here are some questions to consider: How are we going to split our time between each of our families? What are our priorities this year? How many Christmas parties are we going to attend? Then, once you have a plan, stick to it!<\/p>\n Determine how much you want to spend on each other and the kids. A simple rule of thumb for holiday giving is to stick to four gifts: something you want, something you need, something to wear and something to read. This sets expectations and helps you (and your kids) focus on the real reason of the season instead of concentrating on how many presents are under the tree.<\/p>\n And because giving is the most fun you will ever have with money, discuss budgeting some extra money for random acts of kindness. Maybe you can spend $50 to fill up a stranger\u2019s gas tank, leave a gift in the mailbox for your mailman, or give an offering to a specific ministry that is near and dear to your heart.<\/p>\n It\u2019s easy to get caught up in holiday chaos and not make time for your spouse. But that\u2019s a slippery slope. You need to prioritize quality time together. Going solo on a regular basis\u2014and especially during the holidays\u2014will leave you feeling like you\u2019re running on empty. But quality couple time will remind you both you\u2019re in this together and can depend on one another to pick up the slack. And that\u2019ll fill up each of your tanks better than anything else.<\/p>\n Related:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>7 Ways to Love Your Spouse During the Christmas Chaos<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n So commit to a weekly date night throughout December. Sit down together and pick out four nights for the month. Write them all down and stick to it. This intentional time together is just as important, if not more\u00a0<\/em>important, as buying milk and cookies for Santa or getting the guest room ready for your out-of-town visitors. And no, the company Christmas party doesn\u2019t count as date night.<\/p>\n Having these conversations with your spouse will keep you on the same page and remind you both you\u2019re in this together. You\u2019re going to be less stressed if you know you\u2019re working with the same goals in mind. That frees you to enjoy<\/em> the holidays rather than stress about how you\u2019re going to get everything done.<\/p>\n And keep this in mind: You don\u2019t have to do it all. You can make the holidays memorable without making them perfect . . . and that\u2019s perfectly okay.<\/strong><\/p>\n Fund\u00a0those holiday date nights or boost your Christmas budget! Enter the<\/strong>\u00a0Making Futures Bright $100,000 Giveaway! At Ramsey Solutions, we are changing lives this Christmas by giving away $100,000 worth of cash and prizes!\u00a0<\/strong>Enter daily for your chance to win!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n This article originally appeared on\u00a0<\/em>Stewardship.com<\/em><\/strong><\/a>. Used with permission.<\/em><\/p>\n Photo credit: \u00a9GettyImages\/Polina Lebed<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n1. Set realistic holiday expectations.<\/strong><\/h2>\n
2. Decide how much you\u2019re going to spend on gifts.<\/strong><\/h2>\n
3. Schedule weekly date nights.<\/strong><\/h2>\n