Site icon Blog By Donna

A Humorous Holiday Survival Guide for Family Gatherings

jpg_wine201 It is that time of year again; Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming up fast and many people will be getting together with extended families.  I know how stressful it can be to just plan and prepare dinner… not to mention decorating and/or cleaning your house if the get together is at your home.  If the family gathering is out of town, you have all the packing and all the things that leaving your home for a couple of days or more entail; as well as the traveling to do.

I’ve decided to use humor to help us get through this holiday season’s family gatherings.  I promise to write a more serious holiday survival guide before Thanksgiving.  Who knows you might be able to use these tips; and sometimes… humor is the only way to survive the holidays.

Let’s break it down by the family members that cause so much tension during the holidays.

Mother and/or Mother-in-law

Many people are lucky to think of their mothers or mothers-in-law as their best friend.  In many cases though, mothers and mothers-in-law are the single biggest person of contention for us.  If you have a mother or mother-in-law that is over-bearing, their way is the only way or has a narcissist personality, to name a few, then you know exactly what I’m talking about.  Unfortunately, many of us know the stress this type of person can be on a good day… add in all the pressure of a holiday and well – it can be more than we can handle sometimes.  Here are a few tips on how to handle those too annoying mothers and mothers-in-law:

Father and/or Father-in-law

This special man in your life can be a strong and loving role model.  However, if you are one of the unfortunate ones, that have a father or father-in-law that is loud, obnoxious, flirty, self-righteous or any other irritating trait then you are not alone in dreading the holidays.  Try these tips out while around your father/father-in-law this Thanksgiving or Christmas:

Brother or Brother-in-law and/or Sister or Sister-in-law

Siblings and siblings-in-law can really try your patience.  Sibling rivalry is commonplace.  During the holidays a brother or sister can really step on some nerves.  Do you have a brother or sister that are the favorites?  The perfect can’t do anything wrong brother or sister?  Or do you have the whining brother or sister that never takes responsibility for their actions?  This Thanksgiving and/or Christmas try these tips out:

I’ve covered the family members that generally cause the most discomfort during family gatherings; I know there are other relatives that can irritate us,  like crazy aunts and uncles or the obnoxious distant cousin.  You can use these tips on any and all family members as needed.

Please, take these tips in the light in which they were given.  I find humor to be a great way to deal with things and sometimes (like holiday gatherings) it’s best to laugh… or else you might be cry.

Next week I’ll give you a more serious and realistic survival guide for your holiday get togethers.  Until then try to find some humor in your upcoming holiday festivities.

If you have a humorous tip on how to deal with a family member during the holidays… please share it with us.  We would love to hear it!

Exit mobile version