A "G-Rated" Holiday

10 Tips to De-stress the Season and Focus on What Matters Most

With more and more holiday toy catalogues arriving daily in the mail, two of America's highly regarded parenting experts are saying it's time to change with tradition.

"'Tis the season for kids to chant, 'Buy, buy, buy,' and for the media to encourage huge spending on the latest toys, games and electronic devices," says Brent Hatch, who co-authored the book Raising a G-Rated Family in an X-Rated World (Greentree Pub., 2006), with his wife, Phelecia Hatch. Yet, he warns, "The more parents give in to 'Buy, buy, buy,' the more they later are left wondering, 'Why, why, why?'"

"Truly, it becomes a vicious circle, one that promotes increased unhappiness, aggression, diminished moral values and improper attitudes in our children," Phelecia Hatch says. "There are much better ways to celebrate the holidays and much better ways to show our children that we love them and care for them than giving in to their begging for materialistic things they've seen on television or in the newspaper ads."

The Hatches, who are raising seven children of their own, share 10 tips that they say not only will make the holidays merrier, but will help to balance the budget, de-stress the season and contribute to a "G-Rated" family atmosphere for the rest of the year as well.

Want to see more?

• Holiday De-stress: Decking the Halls Without Blowing a Gasket
• Managing Holiday Madness: Sanity Strategies for Parents
• All Tied Up: Unwrapping a Stress-free Holiday Season
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