Category Archives: extended family
Celebrate Chanukah with Traditional Foods and Less Stress
Now that Chanukah is in full swing, I’ve been enjoying the holiday with family and friends. And what is a celebration without the traditional foods – potato pancakes (latkes), donuts (sofganiot) and chocolate coins (gelt). Food has always been an important part of family rituals – sometimes the scents alone can bring back vivid memories of shared holidays. And it can transcend generations: frying latkes reminds me of watching my mother make them for us as kids, making dozens for my own children, and now preparing them to take to … Continue reading
Posted in extended family, stress, your self
Tagged celebration, Chanukah, Christmas, donuts, dysfunctional family relationships, expectations, family, gelt, Hanukkah, holiday, latkes, limits, meal, potato pancakes, relatives, sofganiot, stress, tension, triggers
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Celebrate the Holidays with Hope not Stuff
Are you trying to keep your life in balance while honoring the complexity of this time of year? If so, look at what’s most meaningful to you. And then focus on what you want to do, not on what you think you have to do. This year let go of the idea of a perfect Christmas, Hanukah or Kwanzaa. Even though it’s important to honor the tradition of giving, the accumulation of material stuff can’t hold a candle to the gift that matters most. And bringing cheer to others is … Continue reading
Virtual Book Tour with Dr. Ruth Nemzoff
We welcome to our blog today Ruth Nemzoff, the author of Don’t Roll Your Eyes: Making In-Laws into Family and a popular speaker on the topic of parenting adult children and family dynamics. Ruth is a resident scholar at Brandeis University’s Women’s Studies Research Center and you can find her on the web at RuthNemzoff.com. Ruth is also the author of Don’t Bite Your Tongue: How to Foster Rewarding Relationships with Your Adult Children. Whether you’re a mother-in-law, daughter-in-law, or out-law, her books will help you gain a new perspective … Continue reading
Posted in adult children, extended family, stress, well-being, your self
Tagged " adult children, daughter-in-law, DIL, dynamics, family relationships, grandchildren, in-laws, MIL, mother-in-law, problems, sil, son-in-law, strategies, tips
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Lessons from Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving inspires us to express our gratitude for all we have been given. And the long weekend includes many additional descriptions – delicious, full, hectic, loving, stressful, joyful, overwhelming, warm, meaningful, disappointing, exhausting. How was yours? Mine had some of all of these and was full of friends and family – children, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, a great-grandson, and cousins. Because our children and three grandsons were visiting from out of town, we wanted to take advantage of their trip and squeeze in every possible minute of fun with them. So now … Continue reading
