My mom finally gets it!!!

[RosieTR]

I was just talking to my mom this evening, when she started going on about how she's taking a more relaxed tone this Christmas and just doing the things she wants to do and not trying to be everything to everyone. Also, she cut back on spending and stayed within her budget. Funny enough, she then says how much less stressful it is, how much better she feels about the season, how much less frustrated she gets with small tasks that used to be annoying. :D This is what I have been at times trying to get her to do! Mostly it has fallen on deaf ears until now, maybe because she's now retired or maybe something about the recession, I don't know. I'm hoping the trend continues next year when we're actually there for the holiday, because really I don't need a lot of stuff (as I'm soon going to find out front-and-center as we start packing to move!). Anyway, I think it's great for everyone: her, us, and my dad who usually hates the holiday season. It just goes to show, the simple living holiday message might eventually get through! I pushed hard for a couple of years, then just accepted that she wanted a big showy Christmas, then spent 2 Christmases away and now here we are, success!

[razz]

People will change when they are ready according the Stages of Change model developed a number of years ago. Like so many changes, it comes down to a change in thinking before action will follow.
Glad that you get some needed peace in this change as well as your dad. Enjoy!

[iris lily]

I think it does take several seasons to scale down. There have been numerous stories here over the years about scaling down gift giving and how that takes 2 - 4 years to get to a place where gifts are no longer THE focus of the season. Grandparents do like to watch the tiny kids open presents and experience the surprise and wonder of Christmas through them, and it can be hard to find a focus after that.

I married into DH's family when they had 3 two-year olds as well as other kids, and those Christmases as the 3 aged were fun. I enjoyed them because my own nuclear family has no small children and I had had enough of adults sitting around staring at each other all day Christmas Day. Although after a year or two of that, we got smart and started going to movies on Christmas afternoon. And then my Mother became Jewish. hmmm, is there a connection? But we never had Chinese food on Christmas, which I would have loved. haha.

I really do believe that simple living takes more thought and imagination to come up with fun things to do for the season. It's not that the simple and free fun things aren't there, it's just that most of us grew up with a pattern of gifting/decorating frenzy and it's the easy, obvious path to take.

[artist]

That is so awesome to hear. My inlaws announced that they would like to do no gift exchanges after this Christmas. My MIL says she wants to get away from a commercial Christmas and just spend time with friends and family. We tried to get them to do that this year but they were not ready. A bad year with the economy changed their minds. So now all we have to do is buy for my mom (84).

[redfox]

People will change when they are ready according the Stages of Change model developed a number of years ago. Like so many changes, it comes down to a change in thinking before action will follow.
Glad that you get some needed peace in this change as well as your dad. Enjoy!

Oh, I am very interested in this model! Can you tell me more?