You Can Say No to Hosting the Holidays This Year

Did you host the holidays last year and still feel stressed about it this year? Hosting isn’t for everyone, and even those who love to plan and organize the holiday party each year can be burned out year after year. First, you have to clean every square inch of the house, plan a meal that can cater to everyone including those with tricky to navigate food allergies and preferences and provide enough entertainment that the kids don’t scream the whole time while your cousin Derrick drinks all of your liquor.

Holiday hosting is stressful, so this year learn to say one special word. 

No. Say it again, in your head. No. Okay, out loud. No. Good, good. Now scream it into your computer screen. NO. You’re doing great. Now pretend it’s your mother on the phone asking about the holidays this year. NO! Fantastic.

The holidays will continue without your hosting contributions, so there is no need to dig yourself into a stressful holiday hole. Instead, here are great options to help participate in your holiday celebrations this year.

1. Help Find a Different Venue

Is there a local spot that will rent a backroom for an event? Does someone else in the family have a large enough space to accommodate the holiday crowd? Offer to help research and find a different venue for your holiday event. You could make the suggestion that each year different family members take turns hosting to keep things fair and stressfree.

2. Ask Everyone to Contribute Their Favorite Dish

Don’t expect the host to cook everything. Suggest that everyone brings their favorite holiday dish or make a list of the must-haves and send out a list of what everyone is expected to bring this year.

3. Offer to Help Clean The House for the Person Who is Considering Hosting

If someone else is taking over hosting duties, stop by a few weeks earlier to help them clean the house. Ask what they need help with and agree to take on whatever you feel is best for your schedule.