Celebrate Slacker New Year’s Eve

Slacker New Year’s Eve is a tradition we started years ago. No more loud, crowded events. No more babysitting nightmares. And no more driving back home in the early morning hours on icy roads. What a relief.

Instead, we stay home with the kids. We put lots of goodies on the table, including snacks that are rarely seen in our fussy-about-nutrition household. We get out amusements like board games and videos, build a fire in the fireplace, and basically slouch around together. It’s fantastic. After all the holiday rush, it feels downright indulgent.

A key element of Slacker New Year’s Eve is the no-bedtime promise. On this one night, we’ve always told our kids they can stay up all night if they want. For years, our kids have tucked us in bed not long after midnight, then done their best to stay up until dawn. A few times, they’ve made it. Then, they sleep in at least till noon. That tends to result in a nice quiet New Year’s Day morning for mom and dad.

Tonight, I’m looking forward to warm jammies, chilled champagne, and hanging out with the people I love. This isn’t about renouncing anything. Slacker New Year’s Eve lets the old year slide out without a fuss and celebrates the upcoming year without effort. Ahhh.