Stock up in advance
Don't leave buying food to the last minute. Make sure non-perishables are bought well in advance. Remember, many supermarkets are now open 24 hours a day so you don't have to spend hours queuing for food.

Avoiding the demon drink
By all means enjoy yourself but remember while it's OK to have a little more than usual at Christmas it's not such a good idea to overdo things. If you rarely get a night out since becoming a parent, don't expect your alcohol tolerance to be as high as it was pre-babies! Avoid topping up drinks - it's easy to lose count of how much you've had. Try and intersperse alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Eat a substantial meal before drinking and NEVER drive afterwards.

Prepare as much food as you can beforehand
Cooking on the day itself is time-consuming and the larger the family or number of guests the bigger the job is. Do a little each day in the week beforehand and lay the table on Christmas Eve.

Make sure they all enjoy their meal
Kids will be up early on Christmas Day and as well as opening their presents they'll also want to munch into chocolate, sweets and crisps. You don't want to play Scrooge but make sure they don't overdo it in the morning. Not only will their appetite be ruined but there's a fair chance they'll eat themselves sick too.

Plan ahead and use up the leftovers
While no one likes the idea of turkey sandwiches for days on end, it won't do any harm to have a cold meal on Boxing Day. By now you've earned the right not to be slaving over a hot stove. And there's no harm in freezing a few dishes to microwave on the morning of the 26 December.