During the holiday season, we often sing about "peace on earth." And yet, we also get caught up in the holiday rush, with its crush of shoppers and midnight madness sales. Can we really be expected to find peace when there are turkeys to cook, gifts to buy and wrap, and trees to decorate? How are we supposed to find time to do all of those things when there are parades, pageants and parties to attend? This kind of peace seems an awful lot like chaos, and it can take a tremendous toll on the very people we are trying to please – our children and families.

"With the hustle and bustle around holiday time, it's hard not to get distracted," says Robin Kelman, an account supervisor from Lafayette Hill, Pa., and the mother of two young daughters. "We often drag our kids around to various shops trying to get everything done. Unfortunately, we forget that our kids don't enjoy this. It's hard, but you have to find a happy medium."

For the Kelman family, that balance is found through organization and careful attention to the needs of each family member, especially 9-month-old Madden and 3-year-old Jaiden. With so many errands to be run, why wait until you get home to have some of that elusive quality time? Kelman uses time in the car to talk with her daughters and have some "girl time" and chat about the events of the day.

And if the errands get overwhelming? The Kelmans divide and conquer so that their time together can truly be their own. "When we have a busy week or weekend planned, my husband and I sometimes split up," she says. "He takes [our daughter] someplace just for her, I go run errands, and we meet up and have dinner as a family."

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