Community Magazine January 2017

A llow me to share some ways we can give our children a wonderful winter break without breaking the bank and – hopefully reduce our stress levels in the process. Staycation The concept of a staycation has become popular in the last ten years. The termwas actually added to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary in 2009. A “staycation” is a vacation spent either at home or nearby, doing enjoyable activities or visiting local attractions. I thought my mother invented the “staycation” in the mid-1960’s! Staycations will not only save you money but can also help you avoid long lines at airports and the anxiety and frustration associated with long distance travel (packing, security concerns, delayed flights, passports forgotten at home, etc.). We’ve all experienced vacations that were expensive, and perhaps not as restful and enjoyable as we would have hoped for. The need to make every minute count on a pricey and faraway vacation sometimes takes away from the relaxation and bonding we want to experience. Not Convinced Yet? If you want your children to have a fabulous vacation without spending more than you can afford and without taking ten days off from work (and incurring your boss’s wrath), please read on. Presenting a staycation as a win-win situation and modeling a positive outlook will translate into huge returns on investment for your children. Before you know it, the positivity will be contagious. As an added bonus, your children will learn how to remain optimistic in the face of challenges and view the glass as half-full versus half-empty. Be ready for the push back from your children if/when they start to compare and tell you about the expensive and exotic vacations that their friends are taking. One of the best ways to help ourselves and our children avoid the comparison trap is to express and list on a daily basis the things in our lives that we are grateful for. This helps us replace negative thoughts with positive ones and ensures that we don’t dwell on what we don’t have. Plan and Prepare, Enlist and BOND Put your tweens and teenagers in charge of searching out activities and attractions that will appeal to everyone in the family. Make sure the little ones are consulted too! Then, have a family meeting and agree on an itinerary that works for everyone. Allowing our children to be involved in the planning and decision-making process will get them engaged and invested in making the staycation a success. It will also build their self-esteem and teach them how to collaborate, compromise, resolve conflicts, and bond. Without Breaking the Bank ELLEN KAMARAS Following on the coattails of Hanukah is the winter break given by our Yeshivot. While our children greatly look forward to this time off from school, for parents it can create both financial and work-related anxiety. How to 36 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE