Tag Archives: holidays

Millennials: A Mixed Bag

Are you celebrating the holidays – whether they’re Passover, Easter or just a long weekend – with family? If you’ve got members of all generations, you’ve likely noticed that others may slip into categorizing Americans by lumping them together based on their year of birth: those born in the 1920’s were the greatest, the 40’s, traditionalists, the 50’s, hippies. But what about the Millennials? If you’ve got one in your family, you know that, as a group, they’re a little harder to categorize. At 80 million strong, they can run … Continue reading

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Shared Joy

This year the last day of Chanukah falls on Christmas Eve, reminding us of the unique connection many inter-faith families share. And for those of us who observe only one of the holidays, it’s nice to see how our friends are enjoying their special parties. Getting together with family enhances the combination of fun, warmth, good food and beautiful decorations – whatever event you’re celebrating. And studies have shown that when families join together to practice their customs and rituals, there’s a positive effect on the children. They’re more likely … Continue reading

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Avoiding Holiday Family Meltdowns

With the holidays just around the corner – Chanukah begins next week, Christmas and Kwanzaa the week after – are you planning to spend some time celebrating with relatives? Now is the time to take a look at your family dynamics and plan ahead to avoid a meltdown during your get together. Often present-day arguments reflect childhood conflicts over power, competition or favoritism. In today’s environment, politics, too, can cause a serious disruption in family harmony. If your family has a history of dwelling on unfinished business or expressions of … Continue reading

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Grandparents’ Day and the Grandmother Effect

Last Sunday, for the 35th time since it was instituted, Grandparents’ Day was observed in the United States, honoring 65 million grandparents. In addition to loving their grandkids, grandparents are often responsible for providing childcare and support. A recent survey found that a grandparent regularly cares for nearly one-third of the children under age 5 who have working mothers. And 3 million grandparents are primarily in charge of raising their grandchildren. For me, love is the main commodity I provide to my grandkids and I get it back in multiples. … Continue reading

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