During Christmas, the media is always showing footage of families being happy, decorating the Christmas tree, and drinking apple cider. The family members seem to be getting along and are happy to be together with each other. What if our family is different and it doesn't measure up to this image?
This feeling can cause a lot of frustrations. We want to not only be like the families in these commercials and movies. We want to be better than them, if at all possible. Here are a few tips to avoid such traps.
1. Recognize that every family is very different. Most families are not like those portrayed on the television. Each family will have their own dynamics. But there is always something that can put a damper on our enjoying Christmas. Maybe we just broke up with our boyfriend. Or, perhaps our mother or father just got laid off, making gift buying impossible. No family is always spared grief. So, we have to practise gratitude more than complain about the realities of our families.
2. Unplug from the media as much as possible. The television usually presents an unrealistic image of how families get along and how they spend Christmas. Only a small handful of individuals have a Christmas like that. We have to create our own wonderful Christmas without the help of the media. Only then will we be content with our Christmas and we won't compare ourselves to others.
3. Don't expect total happiness in your family. Since the media portrays families in an unrealistic manner, we have to assume that not one is that happy or content. So, we have to take the time to create our own moments of bliss and peace during the holidays. If we work at it a bit, we could really enjoy the holidays with as much or as little as we have.
4. Accept your family as it is. Families are unique, and no two families are exactly alike, nor should they be. It is essential that we accept our family and all of their foibles. Only then will we enjoy ourselves in the family that we're in instead of wishing that we are in another family. This will help you to cope with the Christmas season even better.
So, unplug from the media this Christmas. Find the good things about your family, celebrate them, and don't focus on what you don't have. Instead, take the time to be grateful for what you do have. This will help you to really enjoy the Christmas season that is ahead.
Irene S. Roth
Irene S. Roth is a freelance writer for teens and tweens. She is in the process of writing a few E-books for teens and tweens on the topic of confidence and self-assertion. She also has an adolescent blog at http://www.adolescentgirlsblog.wordpress.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Irene_Roth
This feeling can cause a lot of frustrations. We want to not only be like the families in these commercials and movies. We want to be better than them, if at all possible. Here are a few tips to avoid such traps.
1. Recognize that every family is very different. Most families are not like those portrayed on the television. Each family will have their own dynamics. But there is always something that can put a damper on our enjoying Christmas. Maybe we just broke up with our boyfriend. Or, perhaps our mother or father just got laid off, making gift buying impossible. No family is always spared grief. So, we have to practise gratitude more than complain about the realities of our families.
2. Unplug from the media as much as possible. The television usually presents an unrealistic image of how families get along and how they spend Christmas. Only a small handful of individuals have a Christmas like that. We have to create our own wonderful Christmas without the help of the media. Only then will we be content with our Christmas and we won't compare ourselves to others.
3. Don't expect total happiness in your family. Since the media portrays families in an unrealistic manner, we have to assume that not one is that happy or content. So, we have to take the time to create our own moments of bliss and peace during the holidays. If we work at it a bit, we could really enjoy the holidays with as much or as little as we have.
4. Accept your family as it is. Families are unique, and no two families are exactly alike, nor should they be. It is essential that we accept our family and all of their foibles. Only then will we enjoy ourselves in the family that we're in instead of wishing that we are in another family. This will help you to cope with the Christmas season even better.
So, unplug from the media this Christmas. Find the good things about your family, celebrate them, and don't focus on what you don't have. Instead, take the time to be grateful for what you do have. This will help you to really enjoy the Christmas season that is ahead.
Irene S. Roth
Irene S. Roth is a freelance writer for teens and tweens. She is in the process of writing a few E-books for teens and tweens on the topic of confidence and self-assertion. She also has an adolescent blog at http://www.adolescentgirlsblog.wordpress.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Irene_Roth