Care.com's Guide to a Truly Happy Holiday

Between shopping, hosting and more time cooped up indoors with the kids, here's how to have a happy, stress-free and fun -- really fun -- time with your family. Plus, all the work you don't have to do. Really.

A recent Care.com poll revealed that the holiday season is the most stressful time of year for parents. Why? Because there's so much to do -- and we push ourselves to the brink to get it all done -- perfectly.

But here's what you really need to do: Make a list of holiday tasks and prioritize that list in terms of what's really important to your family. Then, look at all those items and see how you can make them less work. Maybe the decorating gets done by the kids this year. And the holiday cards are labeled and stamped by your date night sitter. And that doll house you ordered that came in 500 tiny pieces? A Care.com odd jobs pro can handle that. We need to learn how to take things off our plate so we can really focus on spending stress-free time with the kids. This is what makes the season most magical and memorable.

Below is everything you need to guide you through a truly happy holiday!

Tips for a Stress-free Season

• Holiday Survival Kit: Real moms share how they get through the season alive!
• 8 Tips for Surviving Holiday Planning With Kids
• Your Holiday Safety Guide: Learn the hazards of the holidays for kids and pets
• 9 Holiday Conversations to Have With Your Employer

How Care.com Can Make Your Holidays Easier

• 10 Things to Ask Your Sitter or Nanny to Do
• 5 Holiday Chores for Your Housekeeper
• Tricks to Hiring a New Year's Eve Sitter: And what to pay
• Planning for Your Pet over the Holidays

Activities for the Kids

• 41 Thanksgiving Crafts Kids Can Make
• 16 Ways Kids Can Help with Thanksgiving Dinner
• 101 Fun Things to Do with Kids over the Holidays
• 10 Kid Favorite Christmas Songs
• 5 Hanukkah Songs Kids Love
• How to Help Kids Write a Letter to Santa
• 33 of our Favorite Quick and Easy Holiday Crafts for Kids

Parenting Lessons and Advice

• 10 Family Thanksgiving Traditions You Should Start This Year
• 7 Fun Ways to Teach Kids About Thanksgiving
• 6 Ways to Get thru the Holidays without a Spoiled Child
• How to Answer "Is Santa Real?"
• How to Teach Kids About Different Holidays

Holiday Tipping Guide, Nanny Bonuses and DIY Gift Ideas

• Holiday Tipping Guide: How much should you give? (includes infographic)
• The Nanny Bonus Map: Learn how much people pay by state
• DIY Teacher and Nanny Gifts Kids Can Make

The Care.com 2015 Holiday Tipping Survey revealed that 70% of families plan on giving holiday tips, 41% budget for this and 18% will give more than they did in 2014.

Why? 85% say for a job well done, 21% because it's expected and 11% out of fear they won't get good service the next year.

How much? 1 in 5 families spend more than $250 in holiday tips. While 34% spend between $101 and $250.

What do you think? Will you be tipping? Who should get tips and bonuses and how much?