Christmas aside, when it comes to collective levels of excitement for children, then it is Easter that comes in second place from a fun and an anticipation level.
Easter is probably the most significant period in the Christian calendar, but the reality is that it is the hunt for Easter eggs and the visit of a certain bunny that get youngsters excited. It is a very busy time of the year, often with family visiting and with the need to buy and hide eggs and to create a level of excitement and anticipation that won’t be forgotten.
So, the real question is, how can Easter be done better? What are the tricks of the trade that can help minimise the fuss and maximise the excitement? Here are a few thoughts.
Time is precious
As already established, Easter is a frantically busy time, what with travel and relatives and cooking and shopping and so much more going on. You also want to make sure that the expected levels of excitement are attained. One way to do this is to wrap your Easter eggs up. Place each one in a clear plastic box before you hide it in the garden.
The big advantage of doing this is that the egg, which is not just a tasty morsel for your children, but also for any number of garden dwelling pests, is then sealed away safely from unwanted attention from critters. This means that you can hide the eggs the night before and sleep in on Easter. Instead of trying to wake up before the children do, you can hide their treats the night before.
Shop early
Do not leave your Easter shopping to the last minute. Try to buy chocolates and treats early – even doing it over a period of three months before Easter so that it is less onerous on the pocket and so that it is less time-consuming when the shops get busy.
Having all your shopping sorted well before the start of Easter means that you have plenty of time to relax when it rolls around. You can also get good quality merchandise and good prices. If left too late, you will soon discover that your only options are very expensive or cheap and nasty.
Save
If you are not going to be getting a thirteenth cheque from your employers, then you need to save for occasions like Christmas, birthdays, and Easter when big outlays of cash are generally expected from spoiled children.
The reality is that these occasions come with a lot of unusual expenses, and if you are expecting to make it through the month on just your regular salary then you are going to be in trouble. So, put aside a bit of cash each month throughout the year to ensure that Easter – or any other holiday – has no negative effect on your monthly budget.
Brace yourself
You can choose your friends, but you cannot choose your family. You can, however, choose with whom you would like to spend your holidays. If you choose family, then you need to accept that they are who they are and that they are probably not going to change. They may be annoying or conservative or painful. Perhaps they have weird habits.
It is up to you to brace for these and accept them for who they are. If you cannot do this, it will be a very stressful period! So, take a moment or two to talk calmly to yourself and prepare for the holidays – it will help with sanity in the long-term.