HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Here’s wishing you the happiest Thanksgiving Day ever! As you gather around your table thankful for all the joys in your life, whatever they may be— take the opportunity to use this special dinner as a starting point to make family dinner a regular event.  It’s the perfect time and place to bond with your loved ones, catch-up on everything everyone’s doing, and create lasting memories while enjoying a delicious meal. With hectic work and school schedules and all those extracurricular activities it can be tough to find the time for family dinner, but the benefits are worth the extra effort. Studies show that children in families sharing dinner at least three times a week get better grades, have lower addiction rates, less depression,  healthier eating habits, and are less likely to be overweight or suffer from an eating disorder.  So whether you’re a gourmet cook or just like to order in, try making family dinner a part of your daily routine. The Family Dinner Project has great tips to get your started. Check it out at http://thefamilydinnerproject.org/

TODAY IS NATIONAL ADOPTION DAY

The Saturday before Thanksgiving was  officially designated as National Adoption Day 14 years ago, to raise awareness of the more than 100,000 foster children waiting to be adopted into their forever families.
Not only does National Adoption Day raise awareness, but its a day when families and courts come together to finalize adoptions for thousands of kids from foster care.
Congratulations to all the families celebrating today and to every family experiencing the delight of adoption.
For more information on National Adoption Day go to: http://www.nationaladoptionday.org/

SIX STEPS TO A HAPPY HOLIDAY

They’re Back!!  The Holidays are here and that means family, fun and sometimes: feuds. When it comes to the holidays— expectations run high and everyone wants to have quality time with the kids. That’s how it should be, but to make your youngsters’ holidays everything you and they dream they should be— follow these six steps:

                1). Manage expectations- Often our fantasies don’t live up to reality, but letting go of the notion of a perfect holiday allows you to enjoy the actual holiday you’re having.

                2). Keep your children in the traditions they’re accustomed to. It’s tempting to want to take your kids across country to visit relatives, but having a holiday where they feel familiar, safe and secure is paramount.

                3). Familiar doesn’t mean monotonous. Invite your far away relatives to visit you. Keep the old traditions but sprinkle in a few new ones too. —With adopted children, when appropriate, try an maintain a relationship with the birth family and include them in the festivities.  If your child is adopted from another culture, incorporate holiday customs from that culture.

                4). Understand that there will be mixed emotions, especially for older children, so acknowledge your kid’s feelings and build trust so that they can be open with you.

                5). If you’ re co-parenting make sure you have a plan in place that allows the kids to see both parents, always remember your children have a different relationship with your ex than you do.

                6). Most importantly, always make what your children need a priority over what you want.