Remember looking forward to the holiday season? Remember, when you were a child, the anticipation of Santa Claus's visit and how your mom and dad seemed to have all the time in the world to make your Christmas perfect? Times have changed, haven't they? Especially for young families, today, the holiday season has just become way too busy.

Somehow, though, most families manage to survive this busy season, fairly intact. And though the way the Christmas season is celebrated may be different today than it was for their parents' generation, today's young families manage to form their own traditions, which they'll pass along, to be adapted by the next generation. Even so, there's one holiday aspect that will never change for modern couples.

The parents of today's new parents, now grandparents themselves, expect the same kind of Christmas attention that their parents demanded, when they became grandparents. Grandmas and grandpas still exert pressure, loving though it may be, to be visited over the holidays by their children and grandchildren.

But while Christmas may be a time for family and fellowship, the gathering of the extended family just isn't as easy or practical as it was, even a single generation ago. For many families, no longer is a visit to grandmother's house a matter of driving across town. Especially if Grandma's moved to Florida. Many families today are seperated by great distances. And while families may be able stay in constant remote contact with phones and e-mail, travel is growing more difficult and more expensive.

Young families have it doublely difficult, traveling with small children. Besides the ever-increasing costs, there's the hassles involved with waiting in long lines and sitting for hours in airplanes on runways, while trying to keep little ones occupied or sleeping. It's not fun for a young family to start their own holiday traditions when they're rushing from airport to airport.

When it's posible, being with extended family is wonderful at Christmas. But sometimes the effort can create more discomfort than benefit. As much as we'd all like to be with Grandma and Grandpa during the holidays, sometimes it's better just to make plans for visiting, when things are less hectic. That way, the stress level is lower, and everyone can truly savor the joy of family.