Ways to Avoid Awkwardness at the Dinner Table During Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a time of the year when we pause to celebrate life and be grateful for everything it has to offer. People stop from work to travel back home and meet up with the people they love. It is one of the holidays most Americans look forward to.
However, Thanksgiving is also the time when people meet their family once again during Thanksgiving dinner and have an awkward conversation. Not all families are the same. Some families tend to have more issues over the year, and it is during Thanksgiving when everyone is around, will the family finally get to talk about these issues. If you feel like this year will be just as awkward as last year, here are some tips to help you avoid the awkward topics while eating your dinner.
Be positive
One of the reasons why it becomes tough for everyone to celebrate Thanksgiving is because you don’t start the occasion with the right foot forward. You need to make sure that you arrive with a positive disposition, and in the mood to celebrate.
Talk about the issues before your arrival
It also helps if you already try to settle things out even before Thanksgiving. Don’t wait for that particular day to come before you solve your problems. On Thanksgiving, you can focus on celebrating the year that was, instead of dwelling on that painful problem.
Be sensitive
You already know what could push everyone’s buttons. You need to be careful with what you say and don’t allow the conversation to get there. Try changing the conversation if someone in the family leads it to that awkward discussion. You can insert jokes, or change the topic, up until after the dinner if possible.
Enjoy the moment with kids
When there are kids on the table, it would be difficult for people to get angry. Kids are the joys of the family, and you don’t want to ruin Thanksgiving for them. Mature adults also don’t want to put kids in an awkward scenario. Let the kids be the star at the dinner table, and allow everyone to have a positive disposition.
Cook great dishes
When everyone is eating a nice meal, no one can talk about negative stuff. Imagine having a tasty turkey in front of you or a squash soup that tastes like heaven. Would you instead enjoy the meal or engage in an awkward conversation?
Be careful though since some members of your family might pick your cooking apart, and it could be another reason for having an awkward conversation. To avoid it from happening, book a dinner table at a local restaurant. Bring the entire family there so that you have a guarantee that what you will be having for dinner is only the best. You will also wait at least until you get home before you start having that awkward conversation because you are in a public area, and everyone is trying to have fun.
It does not mean that you don’t deal with these issues anymore. You need to select the right time to do it, and the Thanksgiving dinner is not that time.
image: Pixabay.com
Comments are closed.