During the holiday season, there's so much pressure to create magic and memories.

But in the end, what do we remember?

Today we're talking about the bookends,

the things that are really going to stand out 10, 20, 30 years from now.

The things that we and our kids are really going to remember.

The specifics of the holiday season that we put all of the energy and fuss into

may or may not be those bookends.

Hi, this is Dene.

I'm the founder of Simple Families.

Simple Families is an online community for parents who are seeking a simpler,

more intentional life.

In this show, we focus on minimalism with kids, positive parenting, family wellness,

and decreasing the mental load.

My perspectives are based in my firsthand experience raising kids,

but also rooted in my PhD in child development.

So you're going to hear conversations that are based in research,

but more importantly, real life.

Thanks for joining us.

This past year, my husband recounted to me a conversation with his father.

His father told him that looking back over the 40 years of parenting,

it mostly felt like a blur.

And what stood out most was family vacations.

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