In this episode, Annie and Bri are joined by Drs. Melinda Macht-Greenberg and Paula Rauch. They are longtime clinicians and educators, as well as mothers of adult children and grandmothers. Dr. Macht-Greenberg is a psychologist on the faculty at Tufts University and Tufts University School of Medicine and maintains a private practice. Dr. Rauch is a child psychiatrist on the faculty at Harvard Medical School and at Massachusetts General Hospital. Together, they bring more than 70 years of clinical experience working with children, adults, and families across the lifespan. You can read more about them on their Substack Evolving Together: Parent and Adult Child Connection.

The conversation revolves around how to handle tricky family dynamics between adult children and their parents, especially when the pressure of family holiday celebrations adds stress or anxiety.

Episode Highlights:

• Go to 5:42 for a discussion about estrangement vs. engagement
• Go to 13:15 for strategies Paula and Melinda recommend to navigate difficult moments in an adult parent-child relationship
• Go to 18:53 for the doctors' thoughts on a Thanksgiving scenario with adult sibling conflict
• Go to 26:55 for their take on a scenario where an aging parent worries about talking with their children about handing over holiday responsibilities
• Go to 31:54 for practical tips on food, fun, and conversation to strengthen adult family communication at the holidays

Related Links:

• The Family Dinner Project Thanksgiving Page
• The Family Dinner Project Holidays Hub
• Episode 1: Home for the Holidays?
• Episode 7: Holiday Politics
• Episode 18: Dinner with Older Adults
• The Politics of Thanksgiving

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