Hearts Thumping, Hooves Stomping, and Hopes Soaring for Family Service of Glencoe’s 2016 Benefit
Family Service of Glencoe (FSG) is pleased to announce its annual benefit, Glencoe Under the Stars, being held Saturday, May 14, 6:30 p.m. at Skokie Country Club.
Benefit Chair, Elaine Duckler, explains “This event is a special gathering of friends and neighbors that raises funds and builds awareness for the work FSG does in supporting the emotional well-being of our village.”
FSG provides confidential, high-quality therapy to all who live or work in Glencoe, regardless of their ability to pay.
Nicole Hayek, President of FSG’s Board of Directors, adds “It’s incredible that FSG has been helping the community for more than 100 years. Last year alone, FSG served hundreds of local families through counseling services, crisis care, and educational outreach programs. Many people may be surprised to know that even though we live in an affluent area, 59% of FSG’s clients receive services on a sliding scale because they cannot afford to pay. The proceeds from this benefit will allow FSG to continue to offer services to those in need.”
“With this year’s theme, Derby at Dusk,” Duckler continues, “we encourage our guests to show up in festive attire (hats, bowties, or even jockey’s silks). It will be a fun evening, filled with exciting items to bid on in our live and silent auctions, a delicious Southern-inspired dinner, and dancing with Charizma Entertainment.”
Items for auction include a variety of travel packages, unique experiences, tickets to sporting and theater events, and much more. With bidding online through GiveSmart, people do not need to be present to bid on silent auction items, and can register to bid at www.glencoeunderthestars.org.
The evening has been generously supported by local businesses and individuals. Corporate underwriters include, J.P. Morgan, North Shore Community Bank and Trust, Andrea Goldman Design, Abt Electronics, AdCap Securities, Good Egg Concepts, Green Bay Cycles, Highgate Builders, Jennings on the Park, Elise Rinaldi @ Properties, Sarnoff Baccash Property Tax Law, and Swisher & Walker Financial Group. All of the floral centerpieces for the event have been donated by The Grand Food Center.
Tickets are $250 per person, and are available for purchase online. Tickets are going quickly. Purchase yours today at www.glencoeunderthestars.org, or call our office at 847-835-5111 for more details.
https://www.familyserviceofglencoe.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/FSGLogo-203x300.jpg00Sarah Scherdthttps://www.familyserviceofglencoe.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/FSGLogo-203x300.jpgSarah Scherdt2016-04-18 17:12:582016-04-18 17:15:23Glencoe Under the Stars: Derby at Dusk
Affluent communities like Glencoe are disproportionately at risk for substance use. Learn more about this disease, ideas for prevention, and consider taking the alcohol-free weekend challenge.
Alcohol Awareness Month
The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD) created this special designation for the month of April 30 years ago to help reduce the stigma often associated with alcoholism by encouraging communities to reach out with information about alcohol, alcoholism and recovery. Alcoholism is a disease, but people can and do recover.
Take the Alcohol-Free Weekend Challenge
An integral part of NCADD Alcohol Awareness Month is Alcohol-Free Weekend, which takes place on the first weekend of April (this year April 1-3) to raise public awareness about the use of alcohol and how it may be affecting individuals, families, businesses and our communities. During Alcohol-Free Weekend, NCADD extends an open invitation to all Americans to engage in three alcohol-free days. Those individuals or families who experience difficulty or discomfort in this 72-hour experiment are urged to contact local NCADD affiliates, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), and Al-Anon to learn more about alcoholism and its early symptoms.
If you are concerned about your own use of alcohol or that of a friend, family member or child, Family Service of Glencoe is here to help. Our experienced clinical team offers counseling for those struggling with substance use. Please do not hesitate to call us at 847-835-5111 to take the first step towards recovery. Over twenty million people are in recovery from addiction in the United States. You could be next.
https://www.familyserviceofglencoe.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/FSGLogo-203x300.jpg00Sarah Scherdthttps://www.familyserviceofglencoe.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/FSGLogo-203x300.jpgSarah Scherdt2016-03-25 19:06:032016-03-25 19:06:03April Is Alcohol Awareness Month
Family Service of Glencoe (FSG) is examining ways in which we can better serve the needs of our community’s older residents. Our goal is to identify and respond to concerns facing these residents. Over the past several months, FSG has hosted several focus groups and interviews with Glencoe residents, community leaders, clergy and healthcare service providers.
Currently, FSG is looking for the unique perspective on the needs of senior residents from the adult children or caretakers of this group. We are conducting an anonymous online survey to better understand the attitudes, opinions, and needs of those living in our village age 65 and older and those who care for them.
If you are the adult child of an aging parent or other close relative age 65 or older who lives in Glencoe, please help!
All responses will be kept strictly confidential and added to a pool of responses from fellow community members. For those who do not have an aging parent or close relative over 65 but know someone who does, please share this information. Your support will greatly assist FSG’s meaningful service to this group.
The survey will be open through Monday, March 7. Thank you for helping to strengthen our community by giving of your time today!
Thursday, March 3 at 7pm Moving the Needle: Parents, Teens, and Resilience Central School, Misner Auditorium
Family Action Network (FAN) welcomes for the third time clinical psychologist Madeline Levine, Ph.D., the best-selling author of The Price of Privilege and Teach Your Children Well. Dr. Levine is a FAN Advisory Council member, and we have invited her to come and talk about what she feels are the current hot button topics for parents, schools, and kids. She’s been traveling the country for over a decade exhorting communities to follow best practices to raise healthy, fulfilled, compassionate and productive adults. And yet, in her view, the needle has barely moved on the levels anxiety, depression, and dysfunction in teens.
Dr. Levine is currently drafting her third book, examining some of the assumptions about the factors driving the epidemic of emotional problems in kids. She’s curious about why some kids don’t crack under pressure, while others do; why some kids handle academic and social stresses successfully; why some kids are robust where others are fragile. She’s focusing on learned helplessness as the result of parental behavior that causes a child to feel inept and powerless, and the “immaturity creep” – delayed development – that is becoming more common. As she puts it, “We’re treating our children like babies, our teens like children, and our young adults like teens.”
Dr. Levine references the acronym VUCA — Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous — coined by the military to describe the environments in Iraq and Afghanistan. She admires the major structural changes both the military and corporate America have made in response to a VUCA world, and hopes for a similar shift in education and parenting. Collaboration trumps solo efforts; social and emotional intelligence matters more than IQ; horizontal rather than vertical leadership. Come join us for what promises to be a very thought-provoking evening. Dr. Levine is a FAN favorite – a sharp mind with strong views, leavened with true compassion and love for kids, teens, and families.
Sponsored by Family Action Network (FAN), in partnership with Family Service of Glencoe, Glencoe D35, and the Glencoe PTO.
Friday, March 4, 11:30am-1pm
Brown Bag Follow-up Discussion
Takiff Center
Join FSG Therapists Julie Pettinato, LCSW and Kathy Livingston, LCSW for an interactive discussion to follow up Madeline Levine’s FAN presentation. Let’s keep the conversation going! For more information, or to rsvp, contact kathy@familyserviceofglencoe.org.
https://www.familyserviceofglencoe.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/FSGLogo-203x300.jpg00Sarah Scherdthttps://www.familyserviceofglencoe.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/FSGLogo-203x300.jpgSarah Scherdt2016-02-15 15:26:342016-02-15 15:26:34Madeline Levine Returns to Glencoe March 3
FSG invites all Glencoe residents and employees to participate in a special kindness challenge February 14-20, 2016 in conjunction with Random Acts of Kindness Week. This initiative, called #SevenActsInSevenDays is all about connecting with others through acts of kindness. There are many ways to reach out to those in our homes, jobs, and communities at little or no cost such as holding a door for someone, giving away your seat on the train, saying hello to a stranger, or thanking someone for a job well done.
Additionally, we are asking community members to be on the lookout for kindness. When you “catch” someone being kind, honor them with a blue heart sticker. Stickers will be available through Family Service of Glencoe, our challenge partners (see below), and participating local businesses.
The Glencoe community is invited to share their stories on social media using #SevenActsInSevenDays.
FSG is taking on this special venture because our 2014 needs assessment survey revealed that 30% of Glencoe respondents feel they lack an adequate social support network and 36% noted that they feel lonely or isolated. “Social interactions help us grow as individuals and develop a supportive social network to help us in life’s challenges,” said Lisa Cardonick, Communications Chair on the FSG Board of Directors. “The kindness challenge is one step in acknowledging, affirming and supporting those around us.”
Family Service of Glencoe is hosting a discussion on Intergenerational Politics on Wednesday, February 3, 2016 as part of the Woman’s Library Club of Glencoe (WLC) luncheon program series.
Experienced clinicians Kathy Livingston, LCSW, Joan Merlo, LCSW and Julie Pettinato, LCSW will lead our discussion as we explore strategies for empathy and empowering dynamics between the generations.
Topics will range from grandparenting, empathy, relating to your adult children, transitions and navigating the dynamics between generations.
The noon luncheon with program to follow will be held at Skokie Country Club located at 500 Washington Avenue in Glencoe. Cost for the luncheon is $30. To register for the event, please contact WLC President Maxine Retsky at retskyzoo@me.com.
Family Service of Glencoe (FSG) is adding a new support group to our array of services for parents. Beginning Wednesday, January 27, 2016, FSG will offer a weekly discussion group for new moms. This interactive group will be facilitated by FSG Therapist and Program Director Kathy Livingston, LCSW. The group is designed to help first-time and experienced mothers who have given birth in the last year. Babies are welcome. Topics will be generated by group participants to address real-time concerns.
FSG currently offers 22 parent discussion groups that meet monthly throughout the village in an effort to raise emotionally healthy children. Following this successful format, our clinical services are expanding to support the social-emotional needs of preschool families. We hope to help parents and siblings thrive during the transition of welcoming a new baby into the home and family life. New research also demonstrates the importance of infant mental health including caregiver-infant interactions as well as contextual and cultural influences on infant and family development.
“We are delighted to offer this new parenting group where moms can come and share with one another,” said Kathy Livingston. “Becoming a parent for the first time can be a huge adjustment. Even the addition of a second or third child is a change for the family. We would like to offer a safe, supportive place to encourage one another.”
Discussion groups will be ongoing, meeting weekly on Wednesday mornings 9:30-11am at FSG’s second office located at 361 Park Avenue, Suite 202 (above the Glencoe Roast). There is a one-time enrollment fee of $30 per mother. For more information, please contact Kathy at kathy@familyserviceofglencoe.org or 847-835-5111.
https://www.familyserviceofglencoe.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/FSGLogo-203x300.jpg00Sarah Scherdthttps://www.familyserviceofglencoe.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/FSGLogo-203x300.jpgSarah Scherdt2015-12-23 22:42:152015-12-23 22:42:15New Moms Support Group
The holidays are once again upon us. Everywhere we turn we are reminded that ‘tis the season to give, give, give. Consumerism is highlighted on every billboard, decorated in every shop window, and flashed on every television commercial. If we are living in a material world, as Madonna so poignantly sang to us, how do we give responsibly in a material world?
Togetherness. Tradition. This is what we truly long for. What do you remember most about your childhood holidays? Was it the gifts you received? Or was it the time spent with family and friends? This year, take time to make traditions your family will look forward to each winter. Decorate the house. Bake cookies or find special recipes that you only break out this time of year. Visit a nursing home to sing carols. Have a snow football game in the backyard or a family game night. Take a drive to look at holiday decorations. Invite the neighbors to light candles with your family. Make memories.
Research shows that things do not bring us happiness. Gratitude does. Instead of over-emphasizing the gift-giving aspect of the holidays, choose to focus on the special people in your life. Showing love and appreciation for others does not have to deplete your savings account. Write a heartfelt note of thanks to your child’s teacher or coach. Go out of your way to say thank you to the mail carrier and garbage collector. Bring a plate of cookies to the crossing guard who always makes sure your child arrives home safely. Model gratitude for your children – this will pay off when they catch on that thanking you for your efforts puts a smile on your face, too. Remember: it is not happy people who are thankful, but thankful people who are happy.
It is obviously not reasonable, however, to expect that you will neither give nor receive any gifts. Grandma and Grandpa want to buy their grandchildren presents. Let them! It brings them joy! This year, consider asking relatives to give the gift of their time. Perhaps they could purchase a museum membership for your whole family or tickets to a sporting event or theatre production to experience with the kids. An aunt or uncle could commit to taking the kids on a monthly movie date. Some families choose to make donations to charities in each other’s honor. If you know that your relatives feel compelled to buy your children toys, think about asking your children to collect some items beforehand that they are no longer using to donate to those in need.
Most of all, remember your goals. What do you want to teach your children? It could be a feeling of gratitude, the importance of family time, service to others, or simply the joy of giving another person a carefully selected heartfelt gift. There are many ways to give. Choose the ones that best suit you and your family. Happy holidays!
https://www.familyserviceofglencoe.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/FSGLogo-203x300.jpg00Sarah Scherdthttps://www.familyserviceofglencoe.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/FSGLogo-203x300.jpgSarah Scherdt2015-12-15 17:18:212015-12-15 17:18:21Giving in a Material World
Volunteers are hard at work on this year’s Glencoe Community Holiday Drive. This program is a great way to get the whole family involved.
Toy Drive – Donate new unwrapped toys to collection boxes at Village Hall or the Takiff Center.
Food Drive – Donate non-perishable food items or paper goods to collection boxes at Village Hall or the Takiff Center or purchase at Grand Foods on collection days.
Care Package – Purchase a care package at Grand Foods for low-income seniors and disabled adults.
Giving Tree – Donate funds or gift cards by depositing into the white Village mailbox, make checks payable to Village of Glencoe and write Holiday Drive in the memo.
Adopt a Family – Email glencoecommunityholidaydrive@gmail.com to adopt a family
Volunteer – Help collect, wrap, sort or deliver gifts by joining the Glencoe Community Holiday Drive Committee.
Donations will be accepted until Friday, December 11, 2015. Email glencoecommunityholidaydrive@gmail.com for more information.
https://www.familyserviceofglencoe.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/FSGLogo-203x300.jpg00Sarah Scherdthttps://www.familyserviceofglencoe.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/FSGLogo-203x300.jpgSarah Scherdt2015-12-01 22:45:132015-12-01 22:45:13Glencoe Community Holiday Drive
Family Service of Glencoe supports clients by submitting insurance for counseling services on their behalf. Our agency has recently become an in-network PPO provider through Blue Cross Blue Shield. We hope that this will allow more individuals and families to access treatment affordably. For all other insurances, we will continue to submit billing as an out-of-network provider.
For additional information about billing, please email our business manager at alicja@familyserviceofglencoe.org
https://www.familyserviceofglencoe.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/FSGLogo-203x300.jpg00Sarah Scherdthttps://www.familyserviceofglencoe.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/FSGLogo-203x300.jpgSarah Scherdt2015-11-09 20:31:492015-11-09 20:31:49FSG Joined the Blue Cross Blue Shield Network
Glencoe Under the Stars: Derby at Dusk
Hearts Thumping, Hooves Stomping, and Hopes Soaring for Family Service of Glencoe’s 2016 Benefit
Benefit Chair, Elaine Duckler, explains “This event is a special gathering of friends and neighbors that raises funds and builds awareness for the work FSG does in supporting the emotional well-being of our village.”
FSG provides confidential, high-quality therapy to all who live or work in Glencoe, regardless of their ability to pay.
Nicole Hayek, President of FSG’s Board of Directors, adds “It’s incredible that FSG has been helping the community for more than 100 years. Last year alone, FSG served hundreds of local families through counseling services, crisis care, and educational outreach programs. Many people may be surprised to know that even though we live in an affluent area, 59% of FSG’s clients receive services on a sliding scale because they cannot afford to pay. The proceeds from this benefit will allow FSG to continue to offer services to those in need.”
“With this year’s theme, Derby at Dusk,” Duckler continues, “we encourage our guests to show up in festive attire (hats, bowties, or even jockey’s silks). It will be a fun evening, filled with exciting items to bid on in our live and silent auctions, a delicious Southern-inspired dinner, and dancing with Charizma Entertainment.”
Items for auction include a variety of travel packages, unique experiences, tickets to sporting and theater events, and much more. With bidding online through GiveSmart, people do not need to be present to bid on silent auction items, and can register to bid at www.glencoeunderthestars.org.
The evening has been generously supported by local businesses and individuals. Corporate underwriters include, J.P. Morgan, North Shore Community Bank and Trust, Andrea Goldman Design, Abt Electronics, AdCap Securities, Good Egg Concepts, Green Bay Cycles, Highgate Builders, Jennings on the Park, Elise Rinaldi @ Properties, Sarnoff Baccash Property Tax Law, and Swisher & Walker Financial Group. All of the floral centerpieces for the event have been donated by The Grand Food Center.
Tickets are $250 per person, and are available for purchase online. Tickets are going quickly. Purchase yours today at www.glencoeunderthestars.org, or call our office at 847-835-5111 for more details.
April Is Alcohol Awareness Month
Alcohol Awareness Month
The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD) created this special designation for the month of April 30 years ago to help reduce the stigma often associated with alcoholism by encouraging communities to reach out with information about alcohol, alcoholism and recovery. Alcoholism is a disease, but people can and do recover.
Facts about Alcohol
Tips for Parents
Take the Alcohol-Free Weekend Challenge
An integral part of NCADD Alcohol Awareness Month is Alcohol-Free Weekend, which takes place on the first weekend of April (this year April 1-3) to raise public awareness about the use of alcohol and how it may be affecting individuals, families, businesses and our communities. During Alcohol-Free Weekend, NCADD extends an open invitation to all Americans to engage in three alcohol-free days. Those individuals or families who experience difficulty or discomfort in this 72-hour experiment are urged to contact local NCADD affiliates, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), and Al-Anon to learn more about alcoholism and its early symptoms.
If you are concerned about your own use of alcohol or that of a friend, family member or child, Family Service of Glencoe is here to help. Our experienced clinical team offers counseling for those struggling with substance use. Please do not hesitate to call us at 847-835-5111 to take the first step towards recovery. Over twenty million people are in recovery from addiction in the United States. You could be next.
FSG Conducts Senior Survey
Currently, FSG is looking for the unique perspective on the needs of senior residents from the adult children or caretakers of this group. We are conducting an anonymous online survey to better understand the attitudes, opinions, and needs of those living in our village age 65 and older and those who care for them.
If you are the adult child of an aging parent or other close relative age 65 or older who lives in Glencoe, please help!
Take the Survey
All responses will be kept strictly confidential and added to a pool of responses from fellow community members. For those who do not have an aging parent or close relative over 65 but know someone who does, please share this information. Your support will greatly assist FSG’s meaningful service to this group.
The survey will be open through Monday, March 7. Thank you for helping to strengthen our community by giving of your time today!
Madeline Levine Returns to Glencoe March 3
Thursday, March 3 at 7pm
Moving the Needle: Parents, Teens, and Resilience
Central School, Misner Auditorium
Family Action Network (FAN) welcomes for the third time clinical psychologist Madeline Levine, Ph.D., the best-selling author of The Price of Privilege and Teach Your Children Well. Dr. Levine is a FAN Advisory Council member, and we have invited her to come and talk about what she feels are the current hot button topics for parents, schools, and kids. She’s been traveling the country for over a decade exhorting communities to follow best practices to raise healthy, fulfilled, compassionate and productive adults. And yet, in her view, the needle has barely moved on the levels anxiety, depression, and dysfunction in teens.
Dr. Levine is currently drafting her third book, examining some of the assumptions about the factors driving the epidemic of emotional problems in kids. She’s curious about why some kids don’t crack under pressure, while others do; why some kids handle academic and social stresses successfully; why some kids are robust where others are fragile. She’s focusing on learned helplessness as the result of parental behavior that causes a child to feel inept and powerless, and the “immaturity creep” – delayed development – that is becoming more common. As she puts it, “We’re treating our children like babies, our teens like children, and our young adults like teens.”
Dr. Levine references the acronym VUCA — Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous — coined by the military to describe the environments in Iraq and Afghanistan. She admires the major structural changes both the military and corporate America have made in response to a VUCA world, and hopes for a similar shift in education and parenting. Collaboration trumps solo efforts; social and emotional intelligence matters more than IQ; horizontal rather than vertical leadership. Come join us for what promises to be a very thought-provoking evening. Dr. Levine is a FAN favorite – a sharp mind with strong views, leavened with true compassion and love for kids, teens, and families.
Sponsored by Family Action Network (FAN), in partnership with Family Service of Glencoe, Glencoe D35, and the Glencoe PTO.
Friday, March 4, 11:30am-1pm
Brown Bag Follow-up Discussion
Takiff Center
Join FSG Therapists Julie Pettinato, LCSW and Kathy Livingston, LCSW for an interactive discussion to follow up Madeline Levine’s FAN presentation. Let’s keep the conversation going! For more information, or to rsvp, contact kathy@familyserviceofglencoe.org.
#SevenActsInSevenDays Kindness Challenge
FSG invites all Glencoe residents and employees to participate in a special kindness challenge February 14-20, 2016 in conjunction with Random Acts of Kindness Week. This initiative, called #SevenActsInSevenDays is all about connecting with others through acts of kindness. There are many ways to reach out to those in our homes, jobs, and communities at little or no cost such as holding a door for someone, giving away your seat on the train, saying hello to a stranger, or thanking someone for a job well done.
Additionally, we are asking community members to be on the lookout for kindness. When you “catch” someone being kind, honor them with a blue heart sticker. Stickers will be available through Family Service of Glencoe, our challenge partners (see below), and participating local businesses.
The Glencoe community is invited to share their stories on social media using #SevenActsInSevenDays.
FSG is taking on this special venture because our 2014 needs assessment survey revealed that 30% of Glencoe respondents feel they lack an adequate social support network and 36% noted that they feel lonely or isolated. “Social interactions help us grow as individuals and develop a supportive social network to help us in life’s challenges,” said Lisa Cardonick, Communications Chair on the FSG Board of Directors. “The kindness challenge is one step in acknowledging, affirming and supporting those around us.”
We are pleased to announce several partners in our kindness challenge: Glencoe School District 35, Glencoe Park District, Glencoe Junior High Project, Glencoe Junior Kindergarten, Glencoe Youth Services, Glencoe Social Club, and Coldwell Banker. Blue heart stickers may be picked up at one of these locations or at participating local businesses with a kindness challenge sign posted.
Intergenerational Politics
Experienced clinicians Kathy Livingston, LCSW, Joan Merlo, LCSW and Julie Pettinato, LCSW will lead our discussion as we explore strategies for empathy and empowering dynamics between the generations.
Topics will range from grandparenting, empathy, relating to your adult children, transitions and navigating the dynamics between generations.
The noon luncheon with program to follow will be held at Skokie Country Club located at 500 Washington Avenue in Glencoe. Cost for the luncheon is $30. To register for the event, please contact WLC President Maxine Retsky at retskyzoo@me.com.
New Moms Support Group
FSG currently offers 22 parent discussion groups that meet monthly throughout the village in an effort to raise emotionally healthy children. Following this successful format, our clinical services are expanding to support the social-emotional needs of preschool families. We hope to help parents and siblings thrive during the transition of welcoming a new baby into the home and family life. New research also demonstrates the importance of infant mental health including caregiver-infant interactions as well as contextual and cultural influences on infant and family development.
“We are delighted to offer this new parenting group where moms can come and share with one another,” said Kathy Livingston. “Becoming a parent for the first time can be a huge adjustment. Even the addition of a second or third child is a change for the family. We would like to offer a safe, supportive place to encourage one another.”
Discussion groups will be ongoing, meeting weekly on Wednesday mornings 9:30-11am at FSG’s second office located at 361 Park Avenue, Suite 202 (above the Glencoe Roast). There is a one-time enrollment fee of $30 per mother. For more information, please contact Kathy at kathy@familyserviceofglencoe.org or 847-835-5111.
Giving in a Material World
The holidays are once again upon us. Everywhere we turn we are reminded that ‘tis the season to give, give, give. Consumerism is highlighted on every billboard, decorated in every shop window, and flashed on every television commercial. If we are living in a material world, as Madonna so poignantly sang to us, how do we give responsibly in a material world?
Research shows that things do not bring us happiness. Gratitude does. Instead of over-emphasizing the gift-giving aspect of the holidays, choose to focus on the special people in your life. Showing love and appreciation for others does not have to deplete your savings account. Write a heartfelt note of thanks to your child’s teacher or coach. Go out of your way to say thank you to the mail carrier and garbage collector. Bring a plate of cookies to the crossing guard who always makes sure your child arrives home safely. Model gratitude for your children – this will pay off when they catch on that thanking you for your efforts puts a smile on your face, too. Remember: it is not happy people who are thankful, but thankful people who are happy.
It is obviously not reasonable, however, to expect that you will neither give nor receive any gifts. Grandma and Grandpa want to buy their grandchildren presents. Let them! It brings them joy! This year, consider asking relatives to give the gift of their time. Perhaps they could purchase a museum membership for your whole family or tickets to a sporting event or theatre production to experience with the kids. An aunt or uncle could commit to taking the kids on a monthly movie date. Some families choose to make donations to charities in each other’s honor. If you know that your relatives feel compelled to buy your children toys, think about asking your children to collect some items beforehand that they are no longer using to donate to those in need.
Most of all, remember your goals. What do you want to teach your children? It could be a feeling of gratitude, the importance of family time, service to others, or simply the joy of giving another person a carefully selected heartfelt gift. There are many ways to give. Choose the ones that best suit you and your family. Happy holidays!
Glencoe Community Holiday Drive
Volunteers are hard at work on this year’s Glencoe Community Holiday Drive. This program is a great way to get the whole family involved.
Donations will be accepted until Friday, December 11, 2015. Email glencoecommunityholidaydrive@gmail.com for more information.
FSG Joined the Blue Cross Blue Shield Network
For additional information about billing, please email our business manager at alicja@familyserviceofglencoe.org