The aunt who smells like mothballs. The drunkle who always ends up sitting next to you. The kids who run amuck while you’re trying to set the table. The advice you don’t want to hear. How to survive a holiday family gathering with your sanity intact.
Instructions
Things you will need:
Thick skin, strategic maneuvering tactics
Step
1
To avoid the physical run-ins with relatives you don’t particularly like, always have something in your hand or be busy. If you have a big plate of stuffing in your hand when they walk in the door, you’re less likely to be caught in an uncomfortable, smothering hug. Or having tasks to do in the kitchen – talking to them while you’re doing something else will allow them to see that you’re busy, and that you don’t have as much attention to devote to listening to their advice or answering their probing, nosy questions about your life.
Step
2
Have diversions set out in a room for the younger kids to amuse themselves while the meal is being prepared. Blank paper and crayons/pens/markers can amuse almost any child – I have yet to meet a kid who doesn’t like to draw. Even having a movie/dvd playing when they arrive will help them stay preoccupied and out of your hair before dinner is served.
Step
3
If you need to separate some relatives, give one of them a task to do or ask them to help you with something in the kitchen. If one of them is occupied, it will help stop some of the friction because there will be less time to stand around and have an argument about something.
Step
4
If in the middle of the day you find yourself needing some space, ask someone reliable to be in charge of whatever it was you were supposed to do or just quietly excuse yourself for a moment and go into a bathroom/another room to take a breather. Give yourself some time to be away, even for just 10 minutes. This might help you cool down if you find yourself getting upset about something a relative did or said.
Step
5
Have a seating chart. This will make a world of difference, especially if you have relatives who don’t particularly get along. Since at a large dinner party, you end up talking most to the people in your immediate surroundings, this will help alleviate any conflicts that might happen over dinner. The younger kids can also be seated in a separate area to play amongst themselves so that they don’t disturb the adults.
Step
6
Try to have thick skin, at least for this one day. It is the day of giving thanks, after all. When all is said and done, remember that you only have to spend time with these relatives for one day. Try to laugh off their offensive comments, and bite your tongue when they say something that’s borderline insulting.
The aunt who smells like mothballs. The drunkle who always ends up sitting next to you. The kids who run amuck while you’re trying to set the table. The advice you don’t want to hear. How to survive a holiday family gathering with your sanity intact.
