The holiday season can create stressful situations for people who are estranged from their families, but an expert says there are ways to make the best of the situation.
With the holidays approaching, the author of "Brothers, Sisters, Strangers: Sibling Estrangement and the Road to Reconciliation" Fern Schumer Chapman says that if you want to get along with family members at holiday gatherings, it is important to have a plan ready.
"Rules and limitations placed at those dinners. So for example, we're not going to talk about politics and then you need a matriarch or a patriarch who's going to enforce the rules," Schumer Chapman told WBBM Newsradio.
For those not exactly welcome to participate in family holiday gatherings this year, Schumer Chapman said it may be a good idea to shield your eyes from the screen.
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"And the problem with social media is even though you might block certain people, you will be exposed to friends of relatives. So you might see those family gatherings you were excluded from anyway," she said.
She also noted that if you are the person that just wants to have nothing to do with it at all, it's perfectly acceptable to have some time alone.
"Happy holidays and I hope you see your siblings or if you don't see them, I hope you're not in pain," she continued.
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