10 Tips for Family Holidays
December is almost over, but it’s not done with us yet! For those spending the holidays with family, friends, or the friends and family of their family and friends – say it five times fast! — the clock is still tick tick ticking. Whether you’re booked-and-busy with annual traditions or flailing in more of a free-for-all situation, managing the hubbub is no easy task. If you find yourself in a room of loved ones with no idea what to do, this is the holiday activity list for you.
1. Reminisce
There’s nothing worse than struggling to keep a faltering conversation afloat. There’s also no better time to welcome in the (friendly) Ghost of Christmas Past. If there’s one thing people love, it’s reminiscing on the past. Remember when grandma burnt the cookies, or a blizzard delayed your cousin’s plane so long they didn’t arrive until midnight on Christmas Eve? Of course you do, and in this moment, there’s nothing you’d rather do.
2. Put on a movie
Speaking of A Christmas Carol, get your family in the spirit by putting on a good ole fashioned, family-friendly holiday flick. (This is the equivalent, if you haven’t already guessed, of being the family member who gets really into watching the parade, the dog show, or the football game on Thanksgiving Day.) The key here is to choose something fun, funny, sweet, or otherwise universally beloved by guests who take a “couch potato” approach to family holidays.
3. Babysit the kids
Holidays are for kids. Okay, they’re for adults, too, but there’s nothing more magical than seeing a child delight in the fun and festivities of a holiday celebration. And who better than you, if you’ve got kids at your holiday gathering, to make that whimsy happen? Rally the kiddos to bake cookies for Santa, decorate stockings, and sing carols and laugh alongside them.
4. Plan a gift swap
Preemptive strike! Secret Santa. Yankee Swap. White Elephant. About a month out from your holiday, hop on the phone and rally the troops for a new (or perhaps longstanding) holiday gift-giving tradition. Be explicit in your instructions: The funnier the gifts, the better! Watch your family trade thoughtful gifts in a Secret Santa, or better yet, watch the social norms crumble in a gift-swap battle royale. If your grandmother is threatening to cut you out of her will over a set of pyrex tupperware containers, you know you’re doing something right.
5. Talk to grandma
Oh no, you forgot about grandma, or another older relative, who your family members are whizzing by in their frantic holiday preparations. There’s a holiday stereotype of the lonely, chatty or curmudgeonly older Christmas guest who people forget (or avoid) talking to. But not this year, because you’re going to go out of your way to lend a listening ear to even your most eccentric holiday guests. Steer clear of controversy and you’ll be just fine. You might even pick up some wisdom along the way.
6. Hide in the kitchen
So much to do in so little time. Who is going to cook the roast, the buns, the brussels sprouts, the butternut squash soup? Who is going to wash the mounting pile of dishes in the sink? That’s right, you are! Because this year, in lieu of making conversation for hours on end, you are posting up in the kitchen, impressing everyone with how helpful and generous you are with your time. Kudos to you!
7. Plan an outing
If you’ve got a few days with family before the holiday dinners and festivities kick in, get out of the house. See a movie. Check out a Christmas lights display. Go ice skating. Stop by a holiday concert or orchestral performance. Shop at a holiday market. Go sledding or for a snowy walk, if you’re lucky enough to have some snow. Take advantage of holiday happenings in your community.
8. Book club
Hear me out, for all the book-loving families out there, family holidays are an opportune time to plan an IRL book club meeting. A month ahead of time, poll your relatives for book ideas — something no one’s read, but everyone could enjoy — and pick a book or two to read ahead of the holiday. Once you’re all together, bake some cookies and circle up for a discussion. It’s a perfect low effort, high reward holiday activity.
9. Play a game
Who wouldn’t love to watch grandpa play Twister? That might not be your family’s vibe, but there’s gotta be at least one game out there you can recruit the adults or the kids to play. Boggle. Charades. Scene It. Dominos. Cranium. Ticket to Ride. Scattergories. Uno. Catan. Just steer clear of Monopoly: The Most Dangerous Game. You might not make it out alive.
10. Take a break
When the holiday fatigue hits, find a quiet room and take a nice, long break. Take a power nap. Read a book. Eat some popcorn. Do whatever you have to do to rest and relax before putting yourself back out there. Go get ‘em tiger! You’re gonna do great.
Happy holidays!