Recently in By Hillary Fields Category

When is it time to cut the parental purse-strings? It seems these days that's happening later and later - or never, at least among some of the people I know. Maybe it's because our parents' generation earned more or saved more wisely than my own, but I seem to be part of a subset that's (at least partially) subsidized by loving, doting parents.

One friend I know uses her mother as her mortgage holder. Others accept help putting their kids through private school. I myself have been the recipient of my family's largess too often to enumerate. It's been an enormous help.

But is it wrong?

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Oblication: I thought I invented the word, but one quick web search, and I find I'm not alone. Nope, I guess I will not be the only one trepidatiously packing her best behavior along with her sunscreen and her flip flops this December for an in-law-tastic family holiday vacation.

Now, what you need to know is, I struck gold with my in-laws, in much the same way I did with my husband. Not only are they smart, reasonable, caring, thoughtful, kind, funny, and etc., they even lean politically in the same direction as we do so we don't argue heinously over current events at the dinner table. But best of all, they live all the way out in Alaska. And we all know what they say about absence....

So normally, we're all very fond indeed.

My in-laws are generous with their time and advice, and, this vacation season, are being more than generous with their timeshare property too, giving up an extra week of their own time so we can all stay together for a week and enjoy the vacation together.

So why do I feel like a condemned prisoner being led, drum-roll and all, to the gallows?

(Read on for Hillary's holiday survival tips...)