Just in case you haven't noticed it's that time of the year again. And if you have not already sorted your Christmas purchases out yet, you will be feeling a pinch of stress.

If not coming from your Childrens relentless requests that sound like "I WANT, I WANT, I WANT IT ALL!" than from your wife "What do you think we should get for the kids this year?". Chances are, the Christmas stress has already taken root, and is feeding upon your vulnerability. No matter how much you love Christmas, stress and anxiety are the other side of this season of cheer.

Is there a way out?

Yes there is. Dads can beat Christmas Stress. All it takes is a little planning, and being proactive. Here are a few simple tips to help you keep unwanted stress at bay during Christmas:

Lists: A good old Christmas shopping list is a surefire way to keep a tab on what is necessary and what is unwanted expense.

Dealing with divorce around the holidays is extremely difficult. Throughout the first year after separating, there is a great sense of missing something. Holidays and especially celebrating Christmas after the break up of a family can be traumatic and research shows that safe, continued, contact between children and the family members who no longer live with their kids is important for the children's well-being.

Here are some useful tips to help support your children through the holiday season:

• Try hard to put your children's needs first. Christmas is a time for children to enjoy themselves and have fun, not feel torn between their families.


• Planning, involvement and good communication are the key to the success of Christmas. Children will feel happier if they know what is going to happen in advance.


• Constantly reinforce to your children that you love them and that the separation is not their fault.

If you haven't seen this one - check it out.

Enjoy!

-Stef

Seasonal greetings to all iPhone Dads! Last year we reviewed 25 online advent calendars in the run up to Christmas. This year it's all gone a bit iPhone and some creative gaming company has come up with the "APPVENT CALENDAR". The website reveals a free iPhone game every day till Christmas. Download the game of the day at work and try it out with the kids when you get home.

Enjoy!

-Stef

Jazz pianist/vocalist Jamie Cullum has started his own 2008 online advent calendar. There's £20,000 worth of prizes to be won and you get to see a short video clip of him announcing the prize of the day. Might be worth checking out to see if you can score one of the prizes!

-Stef

Today's calendar has more of a religious theme - the calendar at www.edow.org features daily meditations and videotaped interviews with the young people of the Bokamoso Youth Program in Winterveldt, South Africa.

Well it's that time of the year again isn't it - only 4 weeks left till Christmas, which means Advent starts on Sunday. In many countries around the globe Advent signifies the start of the Christmas season (it begins four Sundays before Christmas). On Dec 1st some lucky children can start the count down to Christmas by opening a little "door" on their advent calendar each day to get a treat. Advent calendars are a fun way to help children realise how each day they are getting closer to a big event. It can also be used to help with understanding numbers, counting and build patience.

Most commercial Advent calendars use two layers of cardboard (on on top of each other) with twenty-four small doors cut in the top layer. Each door conceals a picture or little piece of chocolate and has a number on it that corresponds to the days in December.

A Podcast hosted on International Dad featuring show hosts Scott Lancaster and co-hosts Eric Mooij and Stefan Korn from DIYFather.com.

Today International Dad team reflect on Christmas 07.


Blow-up castles, Christmas pyramids and new year’s resolutions. In this week’s podcast Scott, Eric and Stefan muse over the ghost of Christmas past and reflect on the festive season 2007/2008.