Amy Schoen: Hi, I am Amy Schoen. We are going to talk about today how to survive the holidays as a single. The first topic is we are going to talk about the top issues that singles have during the holidays. The holidays are very difficult for singles because they have to figure out where to go. Do they go home to their family? Or do they have family to come to? Do they hang out with their friends? Do they go take a trip? There are so many things to let them to think about. And it is difficult because most of the people is very family oriented and because they don't have a family of their own, it is very hard for them sometimes to go to their families and be amongst them. Singles can make the most of the holiday seasons by doing some pre-planning, to really think ahead about what they want for themselves. Do they want to spend time with their family? And how much time do they want to spend with their family? Do they want to take a trip? Do they want to go on a cruise or go on a ski trip? There are so many options available. So you will really have to choose what is going to make you happy and feel good about yourself.

So the question is who should singles' spend the holidays with? Their family or their friends. Well that depends on the relationship with that you have with your family, how close they are to you, physically as well as emotionally. Whether that you want to be there with them? Whether it is comfortable for you to be with your family? If they don't like look down on you for being single. Or if you have friends, if you have a great group of friends, many times I remember when I was single I really kind of like just hang out with my friends and not having to deal with the travel and the roads and flying during the holidays whether it be Thanksgiving or Christmas. I think it is very important if you decide that you want to go home is to have a conversation with your main family members, before you go home and say, listen this is what I need to feel good about being here. And I appreciate that being the included means and make a request of your parents or siblings, that they act in a certain way that makes you, feel comfortable.

For some, there are many advantages to being single. First of all, you can do whatever you want, whenever you want to do it. So you really have a freedom. Another advantage of being single during the holiday is there are no in-laws. So therefore, you don't have to choose, who to spend the holidays with, like your married friends do. I know I think always bickering about which house to go to, when and having to figure all those things out. You know your family; you know who you want to spend time with. Then you be on your own after that. So even though you are single during the holidays, there are so many wonderful things you can take part of and you do have a family that loves you and wanted to be with you. So make the most of the holidays.