Top 5 Tips for Blended Families to Make it Through Holiday Dinners
You know the old adage-never discuss politics, religion, or sex in mixed company. Well, here’s another tip-never discuss family drama in blended family company. Day-to-day logistics can be tricky enough in a blended family. So what happens when you add preparing (and stressing) over a holiday meal, extended family and rushed timelines for those splitting the holiday between two households? A lot. Here are 5 Tips to help you (and your blended family) make it through your holiday dinners this season.
- The dinner table is no place for drama. If you know a topic is going to be a sore subject, just leave it alone. No one needs to re-hash that awful argument, or listen to any “he said/she said” bs.
- Leave the logistics out of it. No one wants to hear how annoyed you are that the kids have to leave early to go back to your ex, OR how happy you are that you got him to cave and give you a couple extra hours.
- Show gratitude. Be thankful (and express it) that your family is together. In a blended family, there are often “step” relatives and “half” relatives in the mix. Those labels don’t matter. Be welcoming to everyone and that warmth you exude will become contagious. Family is family; blood-related or not.
- Make it fun! There is a good chance that extended family, or relatives who are new to your blended family, might feel a little self-conscious about joining you for a holiday dinner. If you can lighten up the situation, you will take the stress off of everyone, including yourself. Make an exotic appetizer to get the conversation going. Or turn place cards into a guessing game so that your guests have to interact with each other to find their seat. It sounds cheesy, but a fun distraction will unite your guests.
- Just be yourself. It doesn’t matter how your blended family came to be. It did. And you are a part of it, which means that your family will love you for who you are. Don’t stress about it. And if they don’t? Well, more turkey for you next year!
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