Holidays provide times for connection with multiple generations

Holidays provide times for connection with multiple generations. Grandparents have the opportunity to share some of the family history with their grandchildren. This is a wonderful time to get out family holiday photos, play games that parents and grandparents played as children, for grandparents to share stories of their Christmases “long ago” and to make traditional holiday treats. Some families have food that they only prepare at holiday times … egg nog, a special cookie or coffee cake, or an ethnic dish from the oldest generation’s heritage. Use this time to enrich family connection, even if you do not see as much of each other through the year as you would like.

Consider finding ways to include family members that live away and will not be home for the holidays. Send old photos in ornaments, wrap up an old childhood memento, journal in a grandparent’s book. Creatively think about ways to stay connected with each other.

The Richardsons pass the same holiday cards back and forth to each other every year, adding a short note about their lives. It has become a record of family events for 23 years now. Elaine and her sister have one silver holiday ball that they pass back and forth every year. This ball is the kind in which you put some small gift. Each tries to find something different and unique … and it is a nice tradition to show that they care about each other.

George and Jill send their grandchildren photos taken over the year of them all together. Their mother helps them to keep them in a book so that they have a record of history with their grandparents.

Have you found ideas to stay connected with your family that you can share with us here?

Parenting Toddlers

What a wonderful age … they are interested and interesting. While dependent upon you, they also are beginning to look outward and explore a little of their own territory. So lovely to see their delight with new things.

They also can be moody and stubborn, give hugs and kisses one minute and then explode in a temper tantrum the next.

Check out some of the really good sites on the net that share developmental milestones and parenting techniques.

This is the age when parenting differences can begin to emerge. It is very important for you and your spouse to make sure to talk ideas and differences over to come to an understanding about how each other thinks … and determine approaches that you can accept. Rearing children is a perpetual issue for many couples … and it is far more important for people to get along than to win a point.

Some worry about their ability to be a good parent, particularly if they did not receive good parenting when they were children. One of the most important things is to be able to manage your own feelings when with your children so that you can find ways to be with them that are not reactive (other than when loving) and more pro-active about handling problems with their lives.

Please share your ideas, comments and questions.