The songs, the sparkly lights, families coming together... everything says the holidays should be the most wonderful time of the year.

But if you're dreading this period, plenty of other people are wondering the same thing: "Is it normal to dread the holidays?"

You're rushing from one gathering to the next while trying to spend quality time with family. One minute, everyone's getting along fine, and the next, your preschooler refuses to thank Grandma for a gift, and there are hurt feelings on both sides. Then your child declines vegetables at dinner, and the "When I was a child..." lecture begins.

Maybe you're struggling with family holiday stress because Uncle Rob makes comments you don't want your kids hearing. Or Grandma ignores your requests about gift experiences, not things, and goes overboard anyway. Or your partner expects you to say yes to everything while you're barely holding it together.

You love these people, but the thought of another holiday gathering exhausts you before it even starts.

The holidays get hard when we haven't learned how to establish boundaries with family. Most of us grew up learning that "family comes first," which often meant "sacrifice your own needs so other people can be happy."

When you think about........

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