A big part of the stress is a direct result of poor communication - which is as common as overeating during the holidays. Arguments ensue over shopping, decorating, attending parties and all the other minutia that holidays involve.
Take, for instance, the holiday photo card. I gave up sending the photo card long ago. While I always managed to get a great picture of my kids, it was not without a great deal of effort and a lot of stress. As soon as I mentioned the need to take a holiday photo, my son, who is normally a pretty easy going kid, would turn into a crazed lunatic who refused to cooperate, much less smile. My daughter copped an attitude of monument proportions. And my husband, who is a fantastic photographer, would forget to bring his flash to the shoot or would take 20 minutes of photos with the wrong lens.
The year that finally put me over the edge was when my son bit my daughter during the photo shoot and my husband captured it beautifully on film (yes, we were using film back then). My son looks rather smug while my daughter, holding her wounded arm, is crying her eyes out. Of course, as luck would have it, it was the only shot that my husband captured beautifully that year. I was tempted to use it for my card with the caption, "Peace on Earth, Goodwill Toward Men" but I didn't think sarcasm belonged in a holiday card.
Fighting and stress do not have to be part of your holiday tradition. Set a time to discuss family issues before the holidays are
upon you. Being proactive and prepared can ensure that everyone enjoys
the holidays. It takes time and effort to develop family communication skills, but a family that can communicate well can better handle stress, can resolve daily conflicts, and will raise children who are able to communicate well for the rest of their lives.
At Ty Boyd Executive Communications & Coaching, we believe that good communication skills are key to success in life, work and relationships.
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