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Articles from TheStepfamilyLife Website about the Holidays

Creating Stepfamily Holiday Traditions - Real-life stepmom Dawn Miller, writer of TheStepfamilyLife column, discusses a fragile ornament and how it's helping build holiday traditions in her stepfamily.

Five Tips to Survive the Holidays - Writer Dawn Miller of TheStepfamilyLife, offers five tips to help you handle holiday stress.

Five Holiday Stress-Busters - Keeping your sanity intact during the holidays is never easy, but starting out with the right attitude can help.

In-Laws: What You Wish You Could Say About the Holidays - Writer Dawn Miller writes a letter many stepmoms can relate to when dealing with extended families who struggle to connect with new stepmoms.

Inviting His Ex-Wife to Thanksgiving - Got boundary issues? TheStepfamilyLife's Dawn Miller probes the can of worms she opened with her in-laws by inviting her husband's ex-wife to Thanksgiving dinner.

Mapping Out Your Holiday Survival Strategy - Advice on how to plan a holiday strategy that you can live with and won't leave you muttering bah-humbug.

Thanksgiving Stress-busters - Tips for saving your sanity this year while entertaining. Learn from Dawn's mistakes (she actually went to the grocery store twice on Thanksgiving morning in her pajamas) and find out how to lower your stress-load while being a great hostess.

When In-Laws Act Like Out-Laws - Dealing with difficult in-laws - and when to boycott a family event.

Articles About Stepfamilies and the Holidays

Adventures in Stepmommin': The Day After Christmas - Real life stepmom focuses on showing love to her family during the holidays. Provided by SecondWivesCafe.com.

Blended Families Need a Recipe for Holiday Peace - Family expert Dr. Berna Skrypnek advises blended families to strategize a peaceful holiday for children.

Blended Family Holidays - Discusses the value of communicating about your plans and the holidays with everyone involved, how to make kids feel special and what to do when a parent is absent. From Ladies Home Journal.

Building Stepfamily Traditions - Suggestions on how to make any holiday or special event tuned in to your stepfamily. Provided by the Stepfamily Association of America.

Celebrating the Holidays as a Blended Family - Dr. Sam Quick discusses strategies for stepparents to handle the holidays. He recommends avoiding competitive attitudes, keeping a sense of humor, avoiding overbooking and appreciating your family's unique qualities. Provided by SecondWivesCafe.com

Combining Holiday & Family Traditions - Excellent article by Ron Deal that examines how to negotiate holiday arrangements. Provided by Focus on the Family.

Creating "Good-Enough" Holidays With Stepteens - Dr. Peter Gerlach recommends stepfamilies not try to create perfection. He suggests stepfamilies focus on building respect between "stepkin" and not assume everyone will "love" each other. Provided by SecondWivesCafe.Com.

Dealing with Yours, Mine & Ours at Holiday Time - Susan Davis offers advice on how to keep your holiday realistic and peaceful. Provided by DrSpock.com.

Doing the Stepfamily Holiday Shuffle or Two Homes for the Holidays - Provided by Steppingstones Counseling Center. Advice on dealing with feelings about moving children inbetween households.

Emotional Holidays - Dr. David Swift, a dad in a stepfamily, writes about the emotion surrounding holiday visitation decisions and suggests ways stepfamilies can cope. Provided by Smalley Relationship Center.

Handling the Holidays as a Stepfamily - Recommends including your stepchildren's names when you sign holiday cards. Provided by iVillage.com

Home Alone? Making the Most of a Holiday Apart From Your Kids - Planning a trip and spending time with friends are just a couple of suggestions from Dr. Loera to help parents getting through the holidays without their kids. Provided by PsychCentral.

How to Avoid the Stepfamily Holiday Blues - Suggestions on how to stay in touch with children you may not see much over the holidays. Reaffirm children's connections to biological parents.

New Holiday Rituals for Blended Families - Discusses the myth of the perfect holiday (why stepfamily holidays are so stressful) and provides tips on how to start new traditions. Provided by SecondWives.Com.

One Stepmother's Reflections on the Holidays - Dr. Mary Hayes, herself a stepmom, recounts difficult holiday moments and coping strategies. Provided by SecondWivesCafe.com

Options for Improving Stepfamily Holidays & Celebrations - By Dr. Peter Gerlach. Recommends families grieve lost traditions and initiate new ones.

Seasonal Stepfamily Stress: Tips to Help All Your Family Members Enjoy the Holidays - Suggestions on how to deal with visitation and being flexible. Provided by PscyhCentral.com.

Special Holiday Concerns of Single Parent Families - Advice designed just for single-parent families. From DrSpock.com.

"Stepfamily Holiday Travels" Booklet - produced by the Stepfamily Association of America. Read an overview of this booklet.

Tackling the Holiday Blues - This lengthy article by Dr. Joe Hulgus discusses what you can do for yourself and others to prevent the holiday doldrums. Provided by Smalley Relationship Center.

Articles About Family Holiday Fun

Christmas Traditions: Making Merry as a Family - Suggestions for simple holiday activities that let your family have fun together. From DrSpock.com.

Gifts Kids Can Make - Ideas for gifts kids can make themselves. Instructions with what is needed to make each gift.

Hanukkah Traditions: Celebrating the Festival of Light - Suggestions for family holiday celebrations. From DrSpock.com.

Kwanzaa Traditions: Honoring Black Unity, Family Bonds and an African Heritage - suggestions for family activities to draw you closer together. Provided by DrSpock.com

Seven Ways to Create a Simpler More Meaningful Christmas - Practical suggestions on ways to make the holiday less commercial and more meaningful. Provided by iVillage.com.

Thanksgiving Activities for Families - Kids craft ideas and family activities. Provided by FamilyCorner.com

You & Holiday Stress

Butterball Cooking Guide - For when you need help browning your holiday bird to perfection. Stress-relief tips and a hotline you can call for help with your turkey. Provided by Butterball.com.

Coping With Stress During the Holidays - Practical advice for lowering your stress level and bringing joy back into the holiday. Provided by DrSpock.com.

Emergency Clean-Up: Get Ready For Guests in 30 Minutes or Less - How to get organized for a surprise visit in a half an hour. Provided by iVillage.com

Gift Giving at Holiday Time - Say no to clutter and make smart gift decisions up-front. Helpful article provides gift-giving guidance. Provided by DrSpock.com

Holiday Stress - Learn how to avoid the "holiday of a lifetime" myth and avoid inflicting more stress on yourself. From the BetterHealthChannel.

Mood & Food: Escape Emotional Eating - Learn how to keep your mood out of your food. Provided by the Mayo Clinic.

Nine Steps to Stress-Free Holiday Giving - Define some boundaries for yourself before hitting the mall and experience less stress. Provided by iVillage.com

Thanksgiving Holiday Advice - More than 1,500 recipes can be found on this website, with advice on how to cook and plan your meal. From AllRecipes.com.

Thanksgiving Planning Guide - Suggestions for organizing a stress-free holiday event. From Party411.com.

The Time & Money Crunch: Managing Holiday Stress - Suggestions for how to avoid stressing out during the holidays. Provided by DrSpock.com.

Toys & Treasures: A Liberating Approach to Holiday Gift-Giving - Don't drown your family in a mound of things they don't need. Try out this liberating idea. Provided by DrSpock.com.

Holiday Safety

Holiday Safety Issues - Advice on how to keep your home safe during the holidays. From DrSpock.com

Know the Rules for Holidays (pdf file) - Child safety tips for the holidays. From the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Free download. Up to 50 printed copies are available for free by placing a publications order. This is a pdf file, so you need an acrobat reader to view it.

Know the Rules When Your Child is Flying Unaccompanied (pdf file)- Safety tips to keep your child safe while flying unaccompanied. From the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Free download. Up to 50 printed copies are available for free by placing a publications order. This is a pdf file, so you need an acrobat reader to view it.

Know the Rules When Your Child is Traveling Unaccompanied by Bus or Train (pdf file) - From the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Free download. Up to 50 printed copies are available for free by placing a publications order. This is a pdf file, so you need an acrobat reader to view it.

Toy Safety: A Guide for Children of Different Ages - Advice on selecting toys for children and questions you should ask before purchasing. Provided by DrSpock.com