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How to Manage Holiday Money Stress With Gratitude and Chakra Practices
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How to Manage Holiday Money Stress With Gratitude and Chakra Practices
The holiday season is magical in many ways—but it can also amplify the stress we carry around money. Between gift shopping, holiday events, and the pressure to create perfect memories, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and stretched thin. For parents, this stress often creates an emotional ripple effect: we’re worried about providing, and our kids pick up on that energy, even if we don’t say a word.
I’ve felt this weight myself. The holidays can bring up old stories about scarcity, self-worth, and “not enough”—not enough money, not enough time, not enough magic. One Christmas when my son was 11, I found myself caught in this exact cycle, and it’s a story I carry with me to this day.
The Christmas That Taught Me About Connection
I was a single mom, struggling to make ends meet and working a $15-an-hour job that I was terrified of losing. My son had been having a hard time getting to school, and his resistance was making me late for work—adding to my fear of losing the stability we desperately needed. One morning, after yet another battle over getting him out the door, I lost my composure.

In a desperate attempt to gain control, I started bluffing: “If you don’t go to school, I’m throwing out your Christmas presents!” With every “gift” I pretended to toss, I felt my own panic rise. How would I replace them if he didn’t comply? I barely had money for the ones I’d already bought. But my son, calm and unphased, simply looked at me and said, “That’s fine, Santa will bring me more.”
And in that moment, I broke. I blurted out, “He will NOT because I am Santa!”
He looked at me with the most unimpressed, knowing expression and coldly replied, “Thought so.” Then, he walked away.
I carried the guilt of that moment for years. I worried about the impact it had on him, about how I had let my stress and fear take over. It wasn’t until years later, when we were laughing about it, that I realized it had stuck with me far more than it had with him. He told me, “I don’t even remember that—maybe it traumatized you more than me.”
He was right. It was my financial stress and fear that dysregulated me, clouding my ability to see what was really happening. I was so focused on how his behavior was impacting our livelihood that I didn’t stop to ask,
“Why don’t you want to go to school?” If I had approached the situation differently, I might have discovered the root cause of his resistance—and helped us both feel more connected.
Why the Holidays Amplify Financial Stress for Parents and Families
The holidays often stir up old wounds and unresolved emotions, especially around money. For parents, the pressure to create a perfect holiday can feel overwhelming, and that stress often gets passed on to our children.
Here’s how financial stress plays out in our energy system and relationships:
- Root Chakra (Safety & Security):
Financial worries directly impact the root chakra, leaving us feeling anxious, unstable, and ungrounded. This energy center is all about stability, and when it’s out of balance, we’re stuck in survival mode. - Inner Child Wounds:
The holidays can awaken old stories about scarcity, worthiness, or fear of not being enough—stories we often carry from our own childhoods. These unresolved emotions can influence how we react to our kids. - Parent-Child Connection:
When we’re dysregulated, our kids feel it. They may not understand the stress we’re carrying, but they mirror it in their own ways. This creates a cycle where financial fears and behavioral challenges feed into each other, leaving both parents and kids feeling disconnected.
How Gratitude Practices Reframe Financial Stress
Gratitude is more than just saying “thank you.” It’s about cultivating a mindset of enoughness and focusing on what’s present, rather than what’s missing. This shift activates the root chakra, grounding us in feelings of safety and abundance.
Here’s why gratitude works:
- Grounds Your Energy: Gratitude creates a sense of security, helping you feel stable even when circumstances are challenging.
- Soothes Inner Child Wounds: Practicing gratitude reassures the part of you that’s afraid of scarcity or failure, reminding you that you are cared for and provided for.
- Models Abundance for Your Kids:
As you focus on gratitude, your kids learn to see abundance in their own lives, building emotional resilience and reducing materialistic stress.
3 Gratitude Practices to Manage Holiday Money Stress
Here are three simple exercises to help parents reconnect with abundance and teach children to do the same.
1. Root Chakra Practice: The "Abundance List"
Why It Helps:
Financial stress often makes us focus on what we don’t have. This practice shifts the narrative by grounding us in what we already possess.
How to Do It:
- Sit somewhere quiet and take a deep breath.
- Write down three things that make you feel abundant right now. Examples could be:
- “A roof over my head.”
- “The love of my family.”
- “The ability to share a warm meal.”
- Read the list aloud and visualize these things as roots grounding you to the earth.
For Kids:
Ask your child to make their own list! This helps them see abundance in non-material ways, like the warmth of hugs or the fun of playing together.
2. Family Gratitude Jar: A Shared Practice of Abundance
Why It Helps:
This practice combines gratitude with connection, reminding both parents and children of the richness in shared experiences.
How to Do It:
- Place a jar in a central spot in your home with slips of paper and a pen.
- Each day, every family member writes one thing they’re grateful for. Encourage examples beyond material items, like:
- “Watching the snow fall.”
- “Laughing together at dinner.”
- On Christmas Day (or any meaningful day), read the notes together as a family.
3. Reframe Giving: The “Presence Over Presents” Exercise
Why It Helps:
For parents, the pressure to buy extravagant gifts often overshadows the true meaning of the holidays. This practice reminds us—and our kids—that the greatest gift is connection.
How to Do It:
- Reflect on ways you can give your presence instead of presents. Examples include:
- Baking cookies together.
- Watching a favorite holiday movie as a family.
- Taking a walk and sharing stories.
Reframe Your Holidays With Gratitude and Energy Awareness
The holidays don’t have to be defined by financial stress. By practicing gratitude and grounding in the energy of abundance, you can create a season filled with connection, stability, and joy—for yourself and your family.
And if you’re looking for a simple way to bring these practices into your home, my free 7 Days of Christmas Presence Workbook is the perfect place to start. Designed to help parents and kids connect through gratitude and mindfulness, this resource offers practical exercises to bring the true spirit of the holidays to life.
What’s Inside the Workbook?
- Daily Holiday Affirmations: Start each day with gratitude and positivity.
- Printable Christmas Card Template: Inspired by Myla’s story, create heartfelt cards to share love and appreciation.
- The Presence Pause Sheet: A powerful tool to help parents and children reflect and reset during the busy season.
- Magical Words of Gratitude Hunt: A fun and interactive activity to teach kids about gratitude.
- Secret Santa Gratitude Jar: Spread kindness and joy with this meaningful gift idea.
- Wish Upon a Star Activity: Encourage hope and imagination during the holidays.
- Rooted in Love Tree Ornament: Create a keepsake that celebrates your family’s love and connection.
Angela Thibault
Angela Thibault is a mother of two, a passionate children’s author, and the founder of Satori Kid Club and The Parallel Journey™.
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