The holidays tramp

By Valeria Vilar, MA, BEd, LMHC

The Holiday season is a time of great expectations. People plan with anticipation how to make each event a special time to be celebrated and remembered.  Different celebration models reflect each one’s nature: romantic environments, fireplaces, inspiring music on one side; on the other, fireworks, and exotic, exhilarating carnival-like parties. There is not a universal or proper way of celebrating, on the contrary, we are able to create and participate in the kind of festivity that best suits our preferences.

The Holiday season is also a very conflicting time. Some couples find it difficult to match their expectations and families are torn away by competing events and celebrating styles. Even the selection of gifts could become a bitter confrontation. 

Yours, mine... Ours

By Valeria Vilar, MA, BEd, LMHC

Family is the basis of society, the space where the personality of each member starts building up, the pillar on which the psychological, social and physical development of humans is determined. Ideally, it gives each of its members a sense of emotional stability and safety.

Nowadays, there are different family structures, and the traditional family —mother, father and children— is now just one of the many possibilities. The concept of family now includes blended families as well.

Blended families, that is, those that come together through a second marriage merging the children of both spouses, face different challenges than the traditional biological family.

• As professionals, in the last years we have seen a variety of blended family families.
• The most frequent concerns these families face are:
• Arguments regarding the different criteria for raising children. Between “my natural children and yours”.