Psychologist shares 6 conversations parents should have with their kids before gatherings

These rules can help protect kids' mental and physical well-being at family and friend get togethers.

By Annie Reneau

In many families, large gatherings over the holidays or at other times are commonplace, with kids, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and in-laws getting together to eat, play games, watch movies, and spend quality time together. For others, friends might hold parties or events that involve multiple generations gathering in a home for fun and frivolity.

For parents, such events can be a tricky balancing act. Some kids might love big parties, while others get overwhelmed. Sometimes family dynamics can make such gatherings less-than-ideal. And then there are the safety aspects to consider for our children's mental and physical well-being.

Millennial history teacher explains the 3 phases of Gen X and why they were ‘forgotten’

"They just want to be left alone."

By Tod Perry

Generation X occupies an interesting time in history, for those who care to recognize that they actually exist. They were born between 1965 and 1980 and came into this world at an interesting inflection point: women were becoming a larger part of the workplace and divorce was at the highest point in history. This left Gen X to be the least parented generation in recent history.

Gen X was overlooked in their domestic lives and culturally were overshadowed by Baby Boomers with their overpowering nostalgia for Woodstock, The Beatles, and every cultural moment celebrated in Forest Gump. Once Boomer navel-gazing nostalgia began to wane, a much larger and over-parented generation, the Millennials, came on the scene.

Afterwards they went and kept her company and had a slice of cake together.

People like Gabriel make the world a better place

Our friends at All In asked Sprouts Farmers Market to nominate what employee they think represents someone who goes "all in" on kindness. That's when we learned about Gabriel. His coworkers (who have also become his friends) shared with us how everyday Gabriel goes all in to bring joy and enthusiasm to Sprouts customers and everyone around him.

The teams went all in to surprise Gabriel with his choir group, his mom and his sister (who live 1600+ miles away!)

Boomers and Gen Xers share the biggest differences between the early 1980s vs. the late 80s

"The early 80s was like a hangover from the 70s. The late 80s were the gateway to the 90s."

By Emily Shiffer

The 1980s is a decade that both Baby Boomers (those born 1946-1964) and Gen Xers (those born from 1965-1980) remember well. For many, it was an era unmatched in vibe and pop culture that simply can't be recreated.

Within those 10 years, though, there are some blatant differences between what the early 1980s (1980-1985) and the late 1980s (1986-1990) were like, according to Boomers and Gen Xers. On Reddit, they discussed the most noticeable changes and shifts that occurred.

As one Boomer noted, "The early 80s was like a hangover from the 70s. The late 80s were the gateway to the 90s."