We’ve all received them — those holiday newsletters that brag about how Shane (the preschooler) is reading at the second-grade level, Billy got straight As (again), Ashlie got into Harvard and Sam made the law review.

But according to an article by Jeffrey Zaslow from The Wall Street Journal Online, there’s a risk you take when you send out such an annual family letter: Recipients might gather in small groups to read it aloud and laugh at you.

In a neighborhood in Hillsborough, N.J., exactly that happens every year, Zaslow reports. Each December, a family that used to live there send its holiday letter detailing the husband’s fabulous career, the kids’ unbelievable achievements, the wife’s terrific life. Their former neighbors find these annual reports so entertaining, they meet at a neighbor’s house for a theatrical reading of the pompous letters.

Yikes!

But don’t let this little tale scare you into just sending a card with “Happy Holidays” scribbled on it. Your family and friends really do want to hear about your family’s news — if you make your newsletter entertaining, says Elaine Floyd, author of Creating Family Newsletters: 123 Ideas for Sharing Memorable Moments With Family and Friends (EFG Inc.).

Try these tips for making this year’s newsletter a real keeper:

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The holidays officially kick into gear this month, with Thanksgiving
just a week away. And that means it’s time to start thinking about
holiday newsletters. We’ve all received them – the ones that brag about
how Shane (the preschooler) is reading at the second-grade level, Billy
got straight As (again), Ashlie got into Harvard and Sam made the law
review.

But according to a recent article by Jeffrey Zaslow from “The Wall
Street Journal Online,” there’s a risk you take when you send out such
an annual family letter: Recipients might gather in small groups to
read it aloud and laugh at you.

But don’t let this little tale scare you into sending a card just with
“Happy Holidays” scribbled on it. Your family and friends really do
want to hear about your family’s news – if you make your newsletter
entertaining, says Elaine Floyd, author of “Creating Family
Newsletters: 123 Ideas for Sharing Memorable Moments With Family and
Friends” (EFG Inc.).

Want some tips for making this year’s newsletter a real keeper? Check out my article in OC Family magazine.