Thanksgiving approaches. Halloween is over and your extra eager friends are already listening to Christmas Music. Families are planning to gather for Thanksgiving. While for the most part family gatherings are a time for loving reunions, they can also be one of the biggest holiday stressors. Here are a few tips for handling the family gatherings to come.
Step 1: Plan ahead.
By now you should know how your families react to certain situations. If Grandpa gets hangry and the children get bored and ornery, plan accordingly. Make sure there are plenty of snacks readily available for those who need them, and plan activities to keep busy hands and bodies occupied. We like these Thanksgiving themed activities for kids:
Step 2: Prep your meals.
Missing out on family fun because of prepping for “the big meal” can cause a stress on you if you don’t get to see your family as often as you would like. Prepping as much as possible ahead of time definitely assures that you spend less time in the kitchen the day of Thanksgiving. It also cuts back on clean-up, which is something all of us can get on board for. More time for parade/football watching is never a bad thing. Side dishes are a great place to save time. Many can be completely assembled and stored ahead of time with no impact on taste. We found a nice comprehensive list of sides for you to choose from this year:
Step 3: Be Helpful
If you are not hosting the family make sure that you are available to help those who are! Over your services to those who are busy prepping the meals. Offer to clean up, run errands for those overlooked grocery items, or even set the table while food is in the oven.
Believe us, because we’ve put these to the test! These small steps work wonders in lowering the stress of family gathering.
Happy Holidays!
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