Tell us: What advice do you have for parents dealing with holiday stress?

The Mental Health Project is a Seattle Times initiative focused on covering mental and behavioral health issues. It is funded by Ballmer Group, a national organization focused on economic mobility for children and families. The Seattle Times maintains editorial control over work produced by this team.

Buying gifts, planning holiday events, visiting family, a break from routine: The things that make the holiday season special can also add up to a stressful time full of high expectations, particularly for parents of younger children.

Americans are more anxious about the holidays than last year, a recent American Psychiatric Association survey poll found. Forty-one percent of adults said they anticipated more stress related to the holidays this year than last year, and 21% of adults said th