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Mom's parody video makes fun of holiday stress

This funny mom turns holiday stress into a laughing matter.
/ Source: TODAY

Blogger Deva Dalporto is no stranger to funny parody videos. So it's no surprise that in her newest one, Holidays Are Hell, she turns holiday stress into a laughing matter.

Set to the tune of Jingle Bells, the video depicts Dalporto and her family dealing with all types of holiday stress, from toy store fights over holiday gifts, to missed flights resulting in long airport stays, to relatives who visit just a little too long.

The cast of the video are Dalporto’s friends and family, from her son’s preschool teacher to her daughter’s best friend’s father — who plays Santa in the video, but is a heart surgeon by day. Dalporto says the video shoots have been a fun way to connect with her friends and neighbors throughout the entire year, not just at Christmas.

Dalporto’s philosophy for coping with all stress, whether parenting or holiday related, is to laugh and let go of the quest for perfection.

“I do my best to let it go and not stress about everything being perfect. It’s the only way to survive,” she told TODAY Parents.“I’ve learned it’s OK if everyone doesn’t look picture perfect on the holiday card. It’s OK if we order pies instead of baking them. It’s OK if the tree looks more Charlie Brown than Rockefeller Center.”

Deva Dalporto is excited about all she has to get done during the holidays. Not.
Deva Dalporto is excited about all she has to get done during the holidays. Not.Courtesy of Deva Dalporto

In one small moment of Holidays Are Hell, Dalporto also takes a subtle aim at an issue that’s no joke: drinking and driving. (She has teamed up with Responsibility.org to spread the word about the dangers of drinking and driving, especially during the holidays.)

In the video, Dalporto is seen drinking too much champagne at a holiday party and handing over her car keys to a responsible driver.

Dalporto, who says she recalls her own father drinking and driving with her in the car as a child, calls it “something no child should have to go through.”

This story was originally published Dec. 6, 2014.