This is the second part of our series on how to get through the holidays successfully with our aging parents.

Gerontologist Esther Koch gives us excellent advice on how to deal with our baggage and get post those guilt ghosts that still haunt us.

She advises- forgive. Then change your focus.

Sure, all our parents made mistakes in the past with us. We need to just let their shortcomings go. The holidays should never be a time of regret and hardship. We need to enjoy the moment.

Esther also recommends we find fun things to do with our parents as long as they are able.
One thing most people can do is take a drive to see the Christmas lights. That's easy enough.
And every town has those neighborhoods where everyone decorates. Take your parents out some night and let them enjoy it all.

Read Holidays with Aging Parents: Elder Care Expert Has the Prescription for Caregiver Stress

Popularity: 2% [?]

• Your Most Painful Caregiving Mistake  Not discussing plans with your aging parents about their future is the biggest and most costly error you will ever make as a caregiver. In fact, many people put off the vital decisions concerning their parents'  independence and wishes until there is a crisis.  Caregiving experts advise not to wait until times of......
• How to Help Aging Parents With Respect Being respectful of your aging parents is sometimes hard, especially if they are being a little "childish" at the moment. However, there are ways we can still tactfully get the necessary jobs done without raising the anger meter. One example is to go with our aging parents to doctors' appointments......
• Will You Go Broke Caring for Aging Parents? Will You Go Broke Caring for Aging Parents? According to the New York times 30 per cent of adult children spend money on their parents. In these difficult times, that's money that could have been used for living expenses, college education, etc. What's the answer? I don't think there is......
• AARP Expo Shows Latest Successful Aging Trends Nothing like a visit to the AARP Expo and Marc Fisher of the Washington Post gives us the tour. Everything ripe for successful aging is here from a Shirley MacLane lecture to colonoscopy prep pills. And just in case you want the latest trends in cremation, well, they've got......
• 129 Most Healthy Foods The 129 healthiest foods list can help all of us with our very important goal of eating right and living longer. Each food has a link describing why it is nutritious. For example, I clicked on eggplant and got into a treasure trove of info about this 'nightshade' plant.......

• Dispensing Money Advice (or not) to "Help Resistant" Family and Friends The holiday season is known for joyous celebrations of extended family members who may not see each other often.   At least they are supposed to be joyous celebrations.  Unfortunately, these holiday get-togethers are often catalysts for the emergence of dysfunctional behaviors which plague some families.  There is something about the emotions and stresses......
• Are LED Christmas Lights Really more Cost Effective? It's that time of year again. I'm talking about that age old tradition of going Griswold on your house in the hopes of out doing your neighbors in the ever escalating war of holiday festivity. This is our first Christmas in our new house, and we never really had......
• A Camping Trip the Family Can Enjoy /caption]When it comes to camping trips, many people first imagine a fading-fire-filled, mosquito-swatting nature experience that doesn't feel very natural at all. Especially for parents with families and children to take care of, getting into the Great Outdoors can feel more like a chore than a vacation. Thankfully, there are......
• Christmas Traditions I am sure all of you are pretty tired at this point of me telling you how much I love Christmas time, but guess what? You are going to have to hear about it again. Christmas is a holiday that is full of traditions in my house. Some may......
• How to tell my parents about my secret marriage? A few months ago, me and my partner decided to get married in civil secretly before he left to work abroad. My parent and family was against my relationship with my partner, aside from the fact that we were neighbors and my partner's life was an open book in our......