Coping With Your Family This Christmas
You’ve been so busy organising Christmas and entertaining the family that your mates are feeling neglected (and super jealous of your amazing Christmas plans).
Typical. By the end of the night, he’s made you dance with him, whipped your bum with his tie (before tying it round his head) and managed to embarrass you with an over-exaggerated story from your childhood (most likely involving nudity). He doesn’t know when to stop, and constantly crosses the line with inappropriate comments and immature behaviour.
If you ask around you will find that you’re not the only one feeling awkward in his presence, at first it was funny but now it’s just obnoxious. He’ll never change his ways, and if you tell him what you think you run the risk of offending him (which you definitely do not want to do to an uncle n*bhead).
Instead rise above his behaviour refuse to dance with him, ignore his gestures and maybe after a comment similar to “you’re no fun” he may leave you alone. If he persists, do what you used to do when you were little, go and sit between your mum and dad and ask them to protect you. It never fails.
The Spoilt Brat
Your little brother/sister get everything they want. Since birth they’ve always been favoured over you. More presents, more money, more attention, probably more food with their Christmas dinner, but who’s counting? More custard, they definitely get to pull the last Christmas cracker and receive more praise over something you probably did like, five years ago.
Unfortunately there is nothing you can do in these situations, it’s embedded into our genetic code to mollycoddle the youngest, you may even do it to your own kids without realising.
You’re parents won’t mean anything by it, it doesn’t mean that they love them more than you, if anything they’re upset that all they’re children have grown up and find it acceptable to dote on the youngest, the baby of the family. Instead, have a laugh about it with your older brother/sister or your friends who may feel the same and tell your parents that you love them instead of sulking about it.
The Drunken Bafoon
There’s one at every party (last year it was you) but there’s always someone who gets too drunk and makes a fool out of themselves. They’ll fall over, possibly get naked, shout some lary comments that no one can understand and finally pass out.
Firstly, make sure this person isn’t you, and secondly, avoid whoever it is at all costs. If it is someone you can’t avoid i.e. your partner or your grandma, then urge them to take it steady, or take them home if you can. If you’re the host try and limit how many drinks you give to the usual suspects and ensure everyone drinks responsibly.
If it is the same person every year, then you already know what to expect, discuss with other members of the family on how to limit their drink intake. If it’s a bit of harmless fun and they can handle themselves leave them to it, but if they become annoying and won’t leave you alone… the saying goes, if you can’t beat them, then join them.
The Family That You Never See (apart from at Christmas)
Small talk, awkward silences, desperately searching in your brain for something pleasing to say, but you can’t find anything. You can’t remember the names of their kids, you probably can’t even remember their names, or what they do, where they live, did you write them a card? Did they get you a card? You see them once a year, and even then it seems too much.
Do your research beforehand, find out from your parents who you will be seeing this year, what they do and what their hobbies are. Take this as a talking point next time you see them, i.e. Hi Bob, how’s the job? My mum told me about your promotion,” if they see that you are interested, or for example, that their promotion seemed to be the talk of the family, they will loosen up and talk to you.
Suggest that you don’t see each other enough and that you’ve somehow managed to forget the small things due to only seeing each other once a year, “isn’t it stupid that we only see each other at Christmas pah hah…” People love to talk about themselves, so don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Tagged in Christmas