Staying Home For The Holidays

In Conversation

Coronavirus cases continue to surge around the country and here in the commonwealth, and we're all starting to come to terms with how different our holiday celebrations will have to look this year.

On Wednesday, Governor Andy Beshear said Thanksgiving gatherings in Kentucky shouldn't include more than eight people, coming from only two different households. But what if you have family members who still think it's a good idea to gather? How will you communicate with them about why you won't be there?

This week, we're talking about adapting our celebrations to the times we're living in. Childhood development expert Deborah Farmer Kris shares some ideas about making the holidays feel festive for the children in your life, and how to explain to them why things have to be different this year.

Even in the best of years, holidays can turn up the pressure on relationships. So marriage and family therapist Eric Sharp joins us to talk about navigating tricky interpersonal dynamics.

We talk about how to defend against this year's unique flavor of holiday stress, and which harmful coping strategies we should be trying to avoid. More people than usual may be experiencing grief this year, and the holidays can make even old losses feel fresh again. So we look at healthy ways to process those challenging feelings — both for adults and children.

And even though the holidays are weird, we still gotta eat. Lexington Chef Samantha Fore of Tuk Tuk Sri Lankan Bites has some advice for what to put on the table this season. She talks about how to scale down some traditional holiday meals for smaller groups, and shares non-traditional dish ideas for these non-traditional times.