The holiday season can be a stressful time for anyone. But for parents, adding children to the mix can sometimes do a lot to enhance that stress. The Washington Post parenting blog recently interviewed Stacy Notaras Murphy, an American Counseling Association member and a contributing writer to Counseling Today, for tips on making the holiday season a little less taxing on a parent’s mental health.
“Thanksgiving might be the first major holiday when [young couples with children] start breaking out of entrenched family-of-origin traditions,” she said. “I advise couples to rundown all scenarios first, gathering input from extended family members (don’t assume you know what they want, they might surprise you), then make the final decision between the two of you. That way neither person is painted as a dictator when you explain the choice to a wider audience.”
Heather Rudow is a staff writer for Counseling Today. Email her at hrudow@counseling.org.