Category Archives: extended family
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
Posted in adult children, extended family, stress, well-being, your self
Tagged Chanukah, Christmas, communication, connections, dynamics, family, gratitude, holidays, Kwanzaa, meltdown, pressure, relationships, relatives, stress, tension, troublemaker
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What We Can Learn from Japan about Respect
Looking over my pictures from a recent trip to Japan (click on photos to enlarge) got me thinking about this centuries-old culture. It’s a beautiful country with a certain set of characteristics that make it seem insular, cohesive and unique. There is a tight-knit social fabric, no immigration and the only spoken language is Japanese. With over 34 million people in Tokyo and the surrounding areas, it’s amazingly well organized. Trains and subways run exactly on time, like a Swiss clock. You don’t see any graffiti in common areas or … Continue reading
Posted in extended family, stress, well-being
Tagged gaman, good manners, harmony with nature, hospitality, Japan, Japanese culture, moral standards, omotenashi, photos, rituals, ryokans, strict rules, traditions, travel, Zen Buddhism
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Gratitude List
This time of year, we are all busy making lists – grocery shopping lists, gift lists, to-do lists, invitation lists, holiday card lists, New Year’s Resolution lists. I would like to propose that we take some time to make another kind of list – a Gratitude List. Particularly because we are celebrating Thanksgiving this week, we have the opportunity to consider what we are individually thankful for. Kindergarteners are asked to think about thankfulness, why not grownups? I’ve begun making my own Gratitude List and I’d like to share it … Continue reading
Posted in aging parents, extended family, intimate partner, parenting kids, well-being, your self
Tagged colleagues, country, family, friends, gratitude, parents, spouse, support, thankfulness, thanksgiving
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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
