Samantha Daly
Surviving Thanksgiving
Everyone wants to enjoy Thanksgiving. After all, it’s a time to give thanks and be surrounded by the people that love and support you. Not to mention, the food is incredible! From delicious turkey to savory mashed potatoes, Thanksgiving dinner may be the best meal of the year! But it isn’t a secret that getting the whole family together often causes drama, fighting, and an unusually large spike in stress levels. We’re here to give you some last minute tips that can help you master Thanksgiving with the ease of an experienced prepper:
- Prepare for Potential Conflicts. First things first, find out who will be attending Thanksgiving dinner. This gives you the opportunity to anticipate the problems and challenges that will arise. If you know Grandpa is planning to bring his new girlfriend, then you can be ready to keep her and Grandma apart when possible and interrupt when tensions starts to rise.
- Do a Personal Emotional Check. If you know time with your family members sends you into a panic, prepare for the situations that bother you most. If you know that your family is going to be critical of your new job, relationship status, or parenting choices, decide how you are going to respond in a non-confrontational, respectful way so that you do not react in a way that prolongs and exacerbates the conflict. Articulate your opinions, while acknowledging their concerns, but stand your ground.
- Choose Your Topics Carefully. Fights don’t have to be a regular occurrence at every holiday. You just need to know which topics to avoid. If you know Uncle James is a hard line conservative and Cousin Emma is an active SJW, politics is not a topic you want to talk about at the dinner table. At all. Other topics to steer clear of include religion, unemployment, other guest’s lifestyles, and family scandals.
- Go Easy on the Alcohol. Yes, it can help you relax, but it can also quickly make tense situations worse. The last thing you want to be remembered as is the angry, drunk, embarrassing family member. We’re not saying you have to say sober, just drink in a responsible manner.
- Have Fun. Holidays are meant for celebration – enjoy it! Even if they make the hairs on your head gray from stress, your family loves you and they are the ones who are there when you need them most. Remember that it isn’t every day you get to see everyone together, so take the time to catch up and get to know your extended family better.
Thanksgiving is a time to step back and acknowledge all the things you have to be grateful for, including your crazy loved ones. Take this time to make positive memories that will last until the next big holiday freak-out – Christmas supper…
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