Curse of Low Expectations for Teens

by Sheila Wray Gregoire | Jan 11, 2019 | Parenting, teenagers

When I was a teenager I had a curfew of 11:00. I don’t know why I complied, and I’m not quite sure what my mother would have done if I hadn’t (I don’t think she’s sure, either). Yet while I may have grumbled about it, I was always home by...

Just Imagine: How Can Life Change This Christmas?

by Sheila Wray Gregoire | Dec 21, 2018 | Christmas

Are visions of sugarplums dancing in your head yet? We are in the midst of that season of imagination, of wonderment, of desperately hoping a good gift idea for your mother-in-law magically pops into your head. And so, in honour of the season, and the last post before...

Creating Christmas Memories

by Sheila Wray Gregoire | Dec 20, 2018 | Christmas, family fun

Never place the Santa booth next to the fountain at the mall. The one and only time I ever took a child to see Santa was in the Eaton Centre in downtown Toronto when Rebecca was almost two. The line stretched further than the twelve reindeer pulling the sled, and as I...

What Do We Do When Grandparents Undermine Our Beliefs?

by Sheila Wray Gregoire | Dec 19, 2018 | holidays

Let’s talk boundaries with grandparents today! Christmas is almost here! I’ve got Rebecca and Connor home already, though Katie and David won’t be joining us until Christmas Day. And, of course, we’ve got Rebecca and Connor’s dog Winston...

10 Ways to Make Talking Politics with Family Safe at Christmas

by Joanna Sawatsky | Dec 18, 2018 | Christmas, family meals

How do you not make talking politics a landmine at Christmas? Nothing wrecks a good Christmas get-together like talking politics. And let’s face it–far too many have such emotional views that talking rationally gets really difficult. You don’t want...

Avoiding Christmas Disappointment: How to Get Over the Christmas Clash

by Sheila Wray Gregoire | Dec 12, 2018 | Christmas

By 4 a.m. on Christmas morning, my brother-in-law’s house is bustling. Wrapping paper is flying, Christmas music is playing, and laughter is bubbling. But it’s not the kids who wake everyone up at 4. It’s my brother-in-law. He does Christmas BIG. My...

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