Does all of the family togetherness around the holidays sometimes make you feel like shouting from the rooftops? And I don’t mean ho, ho, ho. If your extended family is less like a Norman Rockwell painting and more like Munch’s The Scream, then you’re in good company. It is estimated that 75% of people have at least one family member that gets under their skin. It is also estimated that the other 25% are lying.

Of course we love our families, but at least some of the time, they do have an uncanny ability to push our buttons like no other. Sure you can limit your visits or artfully dodge certain people, but are there other ways of dealing with difficult people and familial tensions at the holidays? I think so. So, before you head home to face your Aunt’s disapproving glances, your Mother-in-law’s not so subtle critique of your parenting skills, or whatever gets your goat, here are:

3 New Strategies for Dealing with Difficult People at Family Gatherings Read the rest of this entry »