Celebrate Christmas by celebrating the fun in simple, everyday connections

December 25 can be an intense day, and families often feel under pressure. Manage expectations

"My daughter is asking lots of questions about when Granny will be coming back to play with her. She cries when I say Granny is not well right now. How can I explain to her what is going on?"

The fact that your girls have recently started arguing may not be related to their differences in skill sets and abilities — it is more likely due to a developmental clash based on their ages and stages of development.

Knowing when to step back and let our teens be more independent is not always an easy call to make

"You need to hold your boundaries and pick your battles. This time of year is exciting for children, as your mother-in-law says, but I also see every day how utterly overstimulating this season can be for them."

All you can do is stay in the present moment and adapt to however your little one reacts in the moment

You all need to be in the right place to welcome a new family member and it is OK if you don’t feel that you have the capacity to take on any more right now

As best you can, set limits and hold boundaries with him in a collaborative, rather than combative, way

"Both are in the middle childhood phase (eight to 12 years), meaning they are competitors within the same developmental stage, which can lead to the type of tension you describe."