It's Not Always A Wonderful Life
Female First look at how to spend quality time with your family without ending in a scrap over the After Eights.
If you want a stress free, row free festive period then you need to steer clear of family arguments an d falling out. These can be easily avoided by following a few simple steps......
Plan Ahead
This doesn't mean ring up the Ministry of Defence and have an armoured tank outside just in case Uncle Bob decides to kick off during charades. Planning ahead simply means taking a few minutes to just mull over what could go wrong. Who doesn't get along with who? Who upset who's wife last year? That way you can plan how to avoid any awkward situations.
Mix things up by playing Twister instead of charades- it's hard to argue with someone when you've got your head between your legs
If you're organising a party and you know that Aunty Freda had a pop at Aunty Margaret last year then try having a quiet word with the two of them before and warning them that they each will be there and suss out whether there is still bad feeling between them. If there is then try asking them politely if they could stay out of each other's way for the night.
Throw Away Traditions
Spice things up a bit this year. If everyone expects that you will all open presents after lunch then suggest doing it before. Mix things up by playing Twister instead of charades- it's hard to argue with someone when you've got your head between your legs and their plumbers bum in your face.
A foolproof method of injecting some Christmas spirit is with a festive tipple. Drag everyone down to the pub for a swift one to put a smile on their face before lunch- but watch out for those uncles who like to get rowdy after one too many pints.
Take Some Time Out
If you feel a row is brewing then the best thing to do is escape on your own for a while. If your smart-arse cousin is getting on your nerves bragging about his flashy new car or the kids are driving you mad with the super noisy new game that conveniently deaf Granddad bought them- then just have a break.
Before you snap and start screaming at everyone just go to another room or hide out in the bathroom and calm down for 5 minutes. You will feel a whole lot better and can go back and face everyone with a nice big (probably fake) smile.
Get Some New Victims-(sorry 'guests')
Invite some new faces to add a bit of something extra to the party. Ever noticed how family's are best of friends whenever strangers are around. It's only behind closed doors that rows start. By inviting some friends or neighbours along you will hopefully shame everyone into being on their best behaviour. However you also risk this not working and your mates retracting the invite for their New Year's Eve party.
Just Say No
If you go to your mother in law's for lunch every year but you would much rather stay at home and have a small celebration with the kids then don't be afraid to speak up. Not everyone likes to be surrounded by scores of relations all over Christmas. Just tell everyone you've already made plans to stay at home and if they don't like it- tough!
Slap on a Smile
A smile goes a long way- even a fake one. Despite what you feel inside just grin a bear it for the sake of keeping the peace. You don't want to be the person everyone blames for ruining the day when you launch into a rant about how Uncle Jim isn't really the father of cousin Joe because Aunty Joan was a bit of a hussy in the past. The thing to do is just let everything go over your head and remember it's all over by tomorrow and you can celebrate by spending the day raiding the January sales.
Check out this video for some serious advice on avoiding family fall outs- look out for the drunk Uncle in the red shirt............
Caz Moss- Female First