I struggle through each and every Christmas. Am I alone?

I know we're nearing the season to be jolly, but my God it's hard work finding the time to get excited when I'm edging ever closer to a public breakdwon.

I wish I was one of those mums who delighted in the festive season, but to be honest I feel nothing but increasing pressure every year.

The kids' demands get ever more frequent, the invitations get all the more extravagant and the concerns get all the more evident.

Don't get me wrong, I love watching my two little ones tear open their presents on Christmas morning and time spent snuggling in front of the fire is definitely time well spent, but then there's everything else.

The pressure to pull off the perfect Christmas dinner, the stress of hosting and the tension associated with gift-giving ettiquette.

I feel I don't measure up at the best of times, but nowhere is this more prevalent than Christmas time when I feel like I never get it right.

Are my kids happy enough with their presents?

Am I the wife my husband expected when he pictured Christmas day as a family man?

Are my in-laws happy with their present?

Do I have a godchild I forgot about?

The questions, or should I say the worries, are simply endless.

I wish I could set these concerns aside and simply enjoy the season for what it is, but whenever I try I find myself worrying about yet another Yuletide task or festive tradition.

And no, I'm not a perfectionist who wants a flawess finish to the festive season, but simply a worrier who wants to make it through one Christmas without feeling like I could have done better.

I admit it, I look forward to January like most people look forward to turkey sandwiches.

At least in January, it's OK to look and feel like you're falling apart.