For many families, the holiday season is painted as a time of joy, sparkle, and togetherness. But real life is rarely that simple. December brings noise, lights, visitors, excitement, and expectations. For some families, that mix can tip from joyful to exhausting. Sometimes it’s a child who feels overwhelmed, sometimes it’s the parent, often it’s both. While we’re using Christmas as an example here, the same patterns appear around other festive or family celebrations. Any tim