Keeping The Peace At Family Gatherings
Family gatherings are wonderful for catching up an getting together. Unfortunately, in many families there are also moments of tensions. Grudges can be held even if no one remembers why. There may be picky aunt or in-law who refuses to eat anything you cook, because they still lament your marriage. There are endless reasons why someone may want to start a new argument or fire up a new one, so here are a few ways to keep down the tensions at your next family event.
For Picky People
Invite people to bring dishes, especially picker eater. That way, if they only eat what they cook, they’ll still be eating. Nerves can be calmed with a good meal. An added benefit is that others can dip into their dish and offer compliments to the chef. You should be the first to do so as the host.
Make it feel like Home
When people are comfortable, they are less likely to argue. The difficult people in the group may need a little more coddling. One way to make a person comfortable is to make them feel at home in your house. Let them help with the cleaning up process. This could just be a sneaky way to look in your cabinets and drawers. Do some extensive planning before the party.
Party vs. Private
There is a fine line between keeping your private items invisible to the party-goers, while making your home appear to be open and inviting. A big stress inducing fact is knowing that your family may try to make their way through your underwear drawer. If they don’t make a beeline for the undies, then it is bound to be the medicine cabinet, or your desk to peek at the balance on your checkbook. Lock up anything incriminating or embarrassing.
Some hosts rope off areas they don’t want guests to be. This isn’t a good idea unless you live in a mansion that was turned into a museum. This can immediately turn fun into a feud. There are other ways to handle a situation if you recently renovated a room.
If the room has a separate door, keep it closed, and if possible, locked. If the room is open to the rest of the house, keep the lights in that room turned off. A dark room will keep wanderers away. You can also set all of the other rooms in the home with obvious party accouterments, such as napkins, plates, balloons, and alike. Make gentle hints to the guests as they enter, like please make yourself at home in the den. Let them know that everything is set up in the kitchen. They will get curious if there are forbidden rooms. Agree with the person if you want to avoid an argument.
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