Ho-Ho-Oh No You Didn’t

As we mentioned previously, the New York Times Booming section has been running another “ask the expert” series, this one with Professor Heen on family conflicts.  The second part of her responses to reader questions was posted on December 18, 2013 and covers Negotiating Conflicts, Part 2: Holiday Hostility.  The first question deals with location, location, location –or as I like to think of it–“over the river and through the woods to” ….what, my house again?  The second deals with the wanna-be food & party-planner critic in the family who has lots of “helpful” hints to improve your meal, the third, the chronically on-time challenged and the last, the seriously estranged family.  Professor Heen offers negotiating and conversation tips for each of these, all of which can be applied to other scenarios. My takeaways from her advice include tact, patience and good communication skills-something important for all of us in elder law world, including our students, to have.

The third installment will be published on January 8th, 2014 and will cover finances, co-workers who are bullies, and estranged families.

In the interim, go hug your family, friends and your pets.