5 Ways to Enjoy Easter As a Parent

One year, I forgot to take a family Easter picture. So, I tried to take one at the END of the day instead...

What I got was my children lying face down on the floor, crying because they didn’t want to go to bed.

Now, I think this type of "Easter" picture is an excellent reminder.

Parenting is NOT what you see on Instagram. On Pinterest. And on Facebook.

Those photos are STAGED. They are essentially "fake."

At times, especially when we’re lamenting why everything seems wrong in our own lives, we lose sight of that.

But raising human beings is MESSY. (Both literally and figuratively). Other real life is MESSY too.

Now, we CAN make things easier on ourselves as parents, in order to enjoy our beautiful chaos a little more. Below are five ways to do it.

Choose Activities That Are Easy

Instead of setting up elaborate games and activities for the kids, enjoy your time together without the fuss. If it takes more than five minutes to set up or clean up, you don’t want it. You’ll thank yourself by the end of the day.

Go Easy on the Candy

One of the reasons my children crashed hard that Easter is because we were too lax on the candy consumption.

In everything, moderation is key. Otherwise you’ll be wiping your children off the floor from their crazy sugar crash. Trust me.

Get Help for Baskets

There’s no shame in using guides for girls and boys Easter baskets. Amazon, Walmart, and Target make it incredibly easy to order what you need, so take advantage of them. Get things shipped to your home instead of making multiple trips out. This alone, saves tons of time.

Buy Instead of Make Easter Food

Next, instead of busting your butt in the kitchen all day, splurge on a few pre-made options. Yes, it’s more expensive. But, sometimes sanity and happiness are worth it!

Another option is to get your whole family involved and split up the cooking and cleaning chores. The goal is to spend less time making and more time enjoying.

Let it Go

Finally, these will help your stress levels immensely, but I hate to break it to you, it will never be "picture perfect." That’s just not how life works.

So, let the comparison game go. Choose to spend your time off of social media or anywhere else that brings out the feelings of less than in you. Instead spend the time loving on your family and embracing the flaws that make your tribe unique.

After all, you can always get back on social media again after Easter.

In Conclusion

So, this Easter, instead of looking at a thousand pictures of beautifully dressed up families, remember mine.

And take solace in the fact that no one else’s life is more "put together" than yours. We’re truly all just figuring it out and adjusting as we go.

P.S. For the record, I like my Easter picture WAY MORE than any "fake" picture we will ever take.

Jenn writes at her blog healthyhappyimpactful.com. She’s a mom of three looking to learn and grow. Check it out if you love helpful tips on health, family, and personal growth.