One of the best thing about the holidays is all memories we have of past family events. Most of our memories are the warm and fuzzy kind but sometimes holiday memories can be painful. What we do know about memories is that the ones that survive have strong emotions attached to them.
As you think about your Christmases past, think about what activities made you happy. Several years ago we gave up doing a big family dinner on Christmas day. We now celebrate with quiche and crepes and lasagna–made on a different day. This way we have more time for the activities we like and remember fondly–family walks and basketball and opening our presents.
Traditions are important in a family and improve mental health but they do change over time. Keep the ones that work for your family and let the others–like a perfect Christmas dinner–fade away (Unless that is the tradition you like the most!)
Parenting Unicorn Stories 