Making the Most of Family Occasions

If you are a parent you probably share an almost universal desire to make family occasions special for your children.
You also may have to overcome certain obstacles in creating your own special experiences with your children such as
finances, distance from family members, and the special circumstances created by divorce, step-parenting and blended
families. Many parents work overtime only to find themselves frustrated by the experience and doubtful that the end
result was particularly meaningful to their children.

At the end of this workshop, you will be able to:
Identify the obstacles to successful family occasions
• Recognize the importance of managing expectations and traditions with what is practical
• Describe how differing agendas can disrupt family events
• Describe how overextending resources can lead to disaster
• Identify how ignoring a child’s perspective can lead parents to exercise poor judgment
Identify the ingredients to planning successful family gatherings
• Describe how to establish ground rules and set appropriate limits
• Identify ways to give each family member a voice
• Identify how to delegate responsibility effectively in the family and improve commitment
• Identify the importance of positive feedback and humor in creating a memorable experience
• Identify ways to turn family events into value lessons and how to strengthen family bonds