I can’t believe we are into the 2nd week of December already! As noted, the Celebrating Diverse Families Committee will be meeting on December 10th at 5pm, and the focus is on the holidays and family traditions. Please consider joining. When we think about diverse families, not only does that include a myriad of cultures and backgrounds, but it also includes a variety of family structures. Some families have two parents, some have one, some have none. Some families live with their older generation parents and some are more nuclear in nature. Some families are accustomed to celebrating the holidays in a very grand way with extended family members such as cousins, aunts and uncles. Some families don’t celebrate at all. The point to all of this is that everyone is unique and wonderful in whatever family dynamic they are in and in whatever way they celebrate (or don’t celebrate) the holidays. This may be an extra area of stress though, especially now. Families who are used to coming together at this time of year may not be able to due to COVID. Grandparents may need to follow extra precautions or be isolated. Family gatherings may be smaller or include technology such as video conferencing to keep connected.
To ease the stress, it is important to talk to your children about how different each family is and that everyone’s family situation is right for them. Discuss with them what parts of the holiday season will be familiar and what parts may look different this year. Consider finding new traditions or creative ways to celebrate with loved ones who you may not be able to see in person. Slow down, be mindful and enjoy the time you have with your friends and family in new and unique ways. As always, please feel free to reach out if you have any questions, comments or just need to talk. kyanek@friendsmh.org
T. Kelly, School Counselor
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