This time of year is very busy and is meant to be full of joy and celebration. But with all the presents, family engagements and tight scheduling, there can be a lot of stress around the holidays.

Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Susan Fabry spoke with us about how to “de-stress" your holidays.

So, there are some things that families can do to de-stress the holidays. Try not to emphasize the hype and commercialism of the holidays... talk with children about true meaning of their faith and heritage associated with the season and plan activities that emphasize these values.

Be selective about your child's holiday TV viewing, much of holiday programming and commercials are directed toward children to encourage a "get-me this, get me that" mentality.

Stick to a regular family routine as much as possible. Don't over schedule. Be sure the family gets plenty of rest, lack of sleep from late night activities and too many holiday goodies can contribute to stress.

Keep travel to a minimum when possible. Trying to visit every member of extended family, especially when you have a blended family is exhausting and usually doesn't promote holiday cheer.

If there has been a change in family do to kids "leaving the nest", divorce or death, the holidays can stir up strong emotions in relation to these changes. So it may be helpful to think about how your family holiday traditions are going to be affected.

Observing cherished holiday traditions can have an important grounding effect for kids by reassuring them that even though some things have changed, other things have remained the same.

Establishing some new traditions might soothe and strengthen families that have experienced a change. Parents: take care of yourselves. Budget your time and finances to avoid creating additional stress in an already busy season.