Find the Fun in Family

With Christmas over and New Year's around the corner, it means we  just had visits with relatives, are still visiting with family, or have some extended family time coming very soon.  This can be the most stressful part of the season. Although we love our family, spending time with them can sometimes be a lot more than we bargained for.

Once you are married, the challenge of balancing two families can be tricky. Someone is inevitably going to be left out, and occasionally feelings will be hurt. Figuring out how to make everyone happy certainly isn't easy and must be handled with kindness and thoughtfulness.  When you have children and want to start your own traditions, this can add to the awkward situations of how to handle family time, and wanting to make your own traditions.

When you have a family visit coming up, just try to focus on the positives of it. Think of all the wonderful things your children gain from knowing their extended family. Instead of dreading the negatives, remember happy times and focus on funny things that have occurred in the past. Try to plan a schedule where you have down time and don't feel intrusive or being intruded upon.

If you are still lucky enough to have family visiting or be visiting with family, remembers Christmas only comes once a year!  Yes, it feels like your mother-in-law has been visiting for six months, but it will be over before you know it. If family has come to visit you in Lorton, drive them to the VRE and send them to D.C. for the day. It will give you time to rest, and they can see all the great things D.C. had to offer. If you are visiting at someone else's house, do the same. Leave for a few hours and run errands or offer to take everyone out to dinner to give the host a break.

If your family visits are over, and you know have time to rest, don't dwell on the visit. Occasionally, family time can be rough and awkward. Remember the happy times and how much pleasure your children had seeing grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles. If you had a great time, let that help you look forward to next year's holiday. If things did not go how you wished, let I go. Complaining and worrying about it makes it seem ten times worse than it really was.

Whether you love your family or tolerate them, just keep the positive things in mind. Anytime you get hung up on things you can't change, you will make yourself miserable. Most families have their hiccups, but try to make things go the best you can. It only takes one person being positive to help smooth wrinkles out. Above all remember, if it's not one thing, it's your Mother!