Today on the show, sorting through your stickiest holiday problems,

from parents who guilt trip, to rude relatives, to what to do about unnecessary gift giving.

It's that also special time of year, and this is Dear Life Kit from NPR.

Dear Life Kit. Dear Life Kit. Dear Life Kit. Dear Life Kit. Dear Life Kit. I have a question for you.

This is Dear Life Kit from NPR. How can I become a better caretaker?

How do I deal with my parents' unrealistic expectations?

And we're getting personal. I'm catching with feelings for someone, but they're married.

I'm your host, Andy Tagle. Every episode, we answer one of your most pressing and intimate anonymous questions with expert advice.

You have to decide what kind of space do I want for myself for the holidays,

and it's up to you how long you want to engage.

That's today's expert, John Kim. John is a licensed therapist,

life coach, and host of the Angry Therapist, a podcast he uses to deliver self-help in a shot glass.

Today, we're excited to have our favorite Angry Therapist here to help us keep our cool this holiday season.

Stay tuned.

Okay, John, here's our first question. Dear Life Kit. Our group of really close friends have been getting

each other gifts for years. Since we live in different cities and don't know when another's taste

that well anymore, the gifts we tend to get are bad. We mean well, but we've all changed a lot.

At this point, I'd rather they keep the money and treat themselves as something nice instead.

Do we have to keep doing this every year to not hurt one another's feelings?

Signed Friendly Finances.

Okay, so this sounds like a case of the ugly Christmas sweater, John.

Yes, yes.

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