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Monday, June 8th 2026

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LET YOUR FAMILY KNOW THINGS CAN CHANGE | Levels of coronavirus infection, travel restrictions and what establishments are and are not open in any given state are constantly changing. That means you may not be comfortable traveling from Vermont to Texas now, but you could be by the week of Hanukkah. "Start having conversations now to prepare family members. Inform family that you may not know until right before the holidays whether you will be able to participate and apologize for any inconvenience," Dr. Schmitt said. "Highlight how much you want to be there and note that there is too much uncertainty at this time to plan that far ahead."
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LET YOUR FAMILY KNOW THINGS CAN CHANGE | Levels of coronavirus infection, travel restrictions and what establishments are and are not open in any given state are constantly changing. That means you may not be comfortable traveling from Vermont to Texas now, but you could be by the week of Hanukkah. “Start having conversations now to prepare family members. Inform family that you may not know until right before the holidays whether you will be able to participate and apologize for any inconvenience,” Dr. Schmitt said. “Highlight how much you want to be there and note that there is too much uncertainty at this time to plan that far ahead.”

How to talk to friends and family about attending holiday gatherings during coronavirus

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Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and the coronavirus pandemic will make navigating the holidays with friends and family who live out of state a little difficult. How can you tell mom you may not come home for Christmas? To figure out how to have these discussions, we emailed with Nicole Francen Schmitt, a psychologist with Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital, on how to have these conversations.

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