November 19, 2008

Holidays are a great time for family fun. But they also present real challenges for families, from coping with in-laws and former spouses, to fending off awkward questions about partners and children (or the lack of same), to avoiding over-indulgence in food, drinking, and gift-giving. And this year there may be more stress than usual as many families face lay-offs, housing problems, or other economic pressures.

CCF is already getting lots of calls from journalists about holiday-related stories. In response, CCF researchers and clinicians have identified topics ranging from negotiating rituals in blended or divorced families, to managing time, dealing with the stress of gift-giving and over-eating, and coping with mismatch of school holiday schedules and parental work requirements. They offer background for stories on how families handle the absence of loved ones over the holidays, on the special issues faced by immigrants, on what families can do when parents or children are incarcerated, and on how non-traditional families deal with holiday rituals and images.