Tag: holiday

The countdown to Christmas has started. Santa’s elves need help, so you may have asked your children to create a holiday wish list, and if your kids are like mine, there’s at least one technology gadget on their list this year. My 8-year-old wants a new iPod, my 12-year-old a new Xbox and my 13-year-old wants an iPhone 5.

Whatever the gadget is, if it connects to the internet, there are five things you need to do before giving it to your child.

It’s the holiday season! A very special time of year to feel closely connected to the people we love and a time to be grateful for all the good things in our lives.

But…

* What if your husband or wife has had an affair?

* What if your spouse has been taking you for granted?

With the holidays rapidly approaching, many couples are faced with an increase in spending. We all know money doesn’t grow on trees, especially during this season. Moreover, in today’s economic climate, many people are funding their holiday shopping with credit cards, causing them guilt and numerous financial resolutions come January 1.

No matter what stage you are in a marriage, the amount of money needed to survive the holidays can rack up. Newlyweds may find themselves with additional gifts to buy for in-laws and double the amount of holiday dinners to attend.

Every year around this time, it begins. It starts in the pit of your stomach, almost undetectable. Then it grows and grows until it’s hard to ignore. It’s that feeling of anticipation, tinged with anxiety, as you gradually realize the holidays are coming.

As a psychologist, I hear this feeling described by scores of people every year. And I see the subject of most anxiety for people is not about gift-buying, cooking, or even money; instead it has to do with the people they’ll be spending the holidays with: their families.

Of all the gift ideas on your list this year, the one that's sure to be both appreciated and returned to you is attention. Especially during the holiday season, it's easy to get distracted by things that don't really matter. As you spend time with loved ones and cherished friends, make the most of it by being present.

It is easy to have a family meltdown and we all know family fights can get intense during the holidays when there is unresolved conflict. When family members are fighting, the root cause is that they aren’t listening.

As the holiday season settles in to the stores, our neighborhoods, the airwaves and upon the earth, looking ahead to the season can bring warm anticipation. Thoughts of seeing family and friends in celebration can be delightful!

The unfortunate paradox is that in our eagerness to participate in the season to its fullest, we often find ourselves overworked, stressed and exhausted. Our resources: physical, mental, emotional, and financial, are spent. We find ourselves overcome by holiday.

Don’t let the true magic of the holiday season get lost in the whirlwind and glitter of this busy time of year. Looking past the flurry of shopping days and mountains of gifts, holidays are a time of creating new memories and reflecting upon treasured moments of years gone by. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the season, we often take for granted the many exquisite traditions that quietly fill our holiday worlds. These traditions are very much worth tending to and passing on, for they carry within them the invaluable glue of love and family. It is our holiday traditions that are often most evocative of our heritage and the varied, rich histories passed down from prior generations. The word "tradition" is derived from the Latin verb traderere, which means to hand over, to transmit, or to give for safekeeping. And, so, it is our traditions that allow us to hold on to meaningful customs and rituals from the past that are deeply connective in nature.