1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:16,600 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:20,600 Speaker 1: tip is to come up with creative ways to split 4 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:26,239 Speaker 1: the holidays. If you have a big family, Inevitably some 5 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: folks are going to need or want to spend holidays 6 00:00:31,040 --> 00:00:34,880 Speaker 1: with other sides of the family. But if you plan well, 7 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 1: you might be able to see everyone and avoid bad 8 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:45,600 Speaker 1: feelings too. If you have a partner, it is possible 9 00:00:45,960 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 1: that you live near both sides of your family, or 10 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 1: maybe one family loves to celebrate Thanksgiving while another leans 11 00:00:54,520 --> 00:01:00,200 Speaker 1: more into Christmas or another religious holiday. If so, that 12 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:05,399 Speaker 1: is great, but many families wind up in more complicated situations. 13 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 1: Two sets of grandparents are many hours away from each 14 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:14,240 Speaker 1: other and both want their whole broods under their roofs. 15 00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 1: Or maybe one particular family member can't or won't travel 16 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 1: or has to work on the holiday itself, which means 17 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:28,319 Speaker 1: that people more often than not wind up going to them. 18 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:32,319 Speaker 1: That means these travelers don't get to spend holiday time 19 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 1: at home, which many people like to do too. You 20 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:39,319 Speaker 1: can alternate doing Christmas and Thanksgiving with each side of 21 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:42,679 Speaker 1: the family, But what if another set of siblings is 22 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:49,240 Speaker 1: on a different schedule, then you are never seeing them. Ideally, 23 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 1: everyone is accommodating, but that doesn't always happen. It can 24 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:59,160 Speaker 1: lead to hard feelings. But I recently heard an idea 25 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: which I find in intriguing and is a good one 26 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:05,120 Speaker 1: for the matriarch or patriarch of a far flung or 27 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: big family to implement. That is, you establish a holiday 28 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:17,359 Speaker 1: gathering time that is not Thanksgiving or Christmas. You all 29 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:22,080 Speaker 1: gather on your family's particular celebration day, but that leaves 30 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 1: the other days open for families who wish or need 31 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:27,959 Speaker 1: to celebrate with their other side of the family, or 32 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 1: who'd like to stay home. Your family celebration day could 33 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:36,000 Speaker 1: still be around the holidays. For instance, you could host 34 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:40,720 Speaker 1: your big holiday gathering on a mid December weekend. You 35 00:02:40,840 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 1: all gather on, say December seventeenth. People might need to 36 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:48,960 Speaker 1: take a day or two off work to travel, but 37 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 1: maybe not too many days. And in any case, for 38 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 1: folks who work in say law enforcement or at a hospital, 39 00:02:57,080 --> 00:02:59,920 Speaker 1: it might be easier to request the days around decem 40 00:03:00,040 --> 00:03:05,040 Speaker 1: Umber seventeenth off than an actual holiday. You can all 41 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 1: celebrate and then people can spend Christmas or Thanksgiving at 42 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:12,480 Speaker 1: home or with other relatives if they wish, or those 43 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 1: who are available can gather again if they want to. 44 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 1: More family time, fewer bad feelings now. To be sure, 45 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 1: there are often a lot of office parties and kid 46 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:28,919 Speaker 1: Christmas events and such on December weekends, So to make 47 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 1: this even easier on people, you might host your holiday 48 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 1: gathering the weekend after New Year's whatever that happens to be. 49 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 1: I will note that the twelve days of Christmas actually 50 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:48,320 Speaker 1: happen after Christmas, extending to January sixth. Many places still 51 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 1: have their lights up, and it might be easier to 52 00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 1: get tickets if you are the frugal sort. I'd note 53 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 1: that having a family holiday party around January sixth means 54 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 1: you've got a week of shopping time available during the 55 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:05,480 Speaker 1: biggest sales of the year. How much of a win 56 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:10,440 Speaker 1: is that, plus you stretch out the fun. January can 57 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 1: be bleary in many places, having a big celebration to 58 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 1: look forward to pushes any doldrums off a few weeks 59 00:04:18,240 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 1: closer to spring. So if you've got a big family 60 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 1: you'd like to see, and many of your family members 61 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:28,320 Speaker 1: have other sides of the family that they need or want, 62 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:35,000 Speaker 1: to see. Then consider instituting a non holiday holiday. The 63 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:38,080 Speaker 1: holidays are more about spending time with loved ones than 64 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 1: the actual dates themselves. If you can arrange to spend 65 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:47,240 Speaker 1: time with your whole family without causing tough choices, that's 66 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:51,560 Speaker 1: really a huge present you are giving to everyone. It 67 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:57,919 Speaker 1: is definitely better than another tie. In the meantime, This 68 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:02,920 Speaker 1: is Laura. Thanks for and here's to making the most 69 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:13,200 Speaker 1: of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you. 70 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:16,080 Speaker 1: You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. 71 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at 72 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast Pod. That's b E the number four then 73 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:29,360 Speaker 1: Breakfast Pod. You can also shoot me an email at 74 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast Podcasts at iHeartMedia dot com. That before Breakfast 75 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:36,760 Speaker 1: is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much. 76 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 1: Should I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast 77 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 1: is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, 78 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:53,520 Speaker 1: visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 79 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 1: to your favorite shows.