HOLIDAY HUMILIATION: It's that time of year again: Time to face your well-meaning but nosy, opinionated relatives during the holidays. Only this year, you might have to break the news that you've just lost your job.

Stephen Viscusi, author of the recently published "Bulletproof Your Job," said he's gotten a slew of letters from those fired and laid off who dread having to tell Aunt Gladys and Uncle Ernie.

"When you're trapped in that small kitchen with your family members who only see you once a year, and they ask how your job is, how do you tell them in front of your little nieces and nephews?" said Viscusi, who acknowledges he's never been unemployed himself. "You can try and milk the recession, but the truth is, they're just gonna think of you as the one who's not working. You'll be forever stereotyped as that person who can't seem to hold onto or find a job."

What's worse, Viscusi says, is the uncle who passes unwanted advice with the mashed potatoes. But is there any way to avoid it?

You can ostracise yourself and your kids from your extended family and old friends, and hope things will be better by next year. You can go out with a brave face on, Viscusi says, and just tell the truth — just be sure to cite the recession and the unemployment rate.

The third and best option, Viscusi said, is to make something up: "It's just a little white lie, and if it means not having to see your relatives gloat, is it really that bad? You can tell the truth and act like it's happening to everyone, but guess what? It's not. Most people aren't losing their jobs."

STINGY SANTA: If you're trying to figure out how you'll afford everything your kids want this holiday season, consider whether a jolt of disappointment Christmas morning might be the best thing for them.

A bad economy may be good for our kids, according to psychologist Aaron Cooper, an expert on child and family relations with The Family Institute at Northwestern University who believes spoiling children can cripple their ability to cope with life. He attributes depression, anxiety, and worry to the "I just want them to be happy" mentality.

"We shield youngsters from so much adversity trying to keep them happy that we deprive them of the practice they need navigating rough waters," Cooper said. "There's no other way to develop resilience except by facing adversity."