Split The Responsibilities
One major source of fighting among families is the weight that some family members carry around the holidays. For instance, your mother may be the one in charge of cooking Thanksgiving dinner, which will cause her to be a little more stressed out than someone who just shows up to eat. Rather than putting that huge burden on one person, try splitting up the responsibilities the best you can. Have one person make the main dish for the meal, and then have other family members cook sides, desserts, bread, etc. Try to create a level of equality for the meal so that no one feels under appreciated.
Be Careful Who You Invite
It’s terrible to think that you wouldn’t want to invite certain family members over for the holidays, but in some cases, that works in everyone’s favor. Perhaps there is one uncle in your family that does nothing but tell dirty jokes and start fights about politics. It might be best to keep him out of the loop. Of course, this could cause even more drama outside of the home, but at least you can enjoy the holidays in peace.
Set Up Activities To Keep Everyone Entertained
Boredom can lead to fighting in families, so you can’t let that happen. Set up several board games, TV rooms, and more to keep everyone entertained. Perhaps a group of you will want to play cards while another will want to watch a football game. As long as everyone has something to do, the fighting will remain at a minimum.
Remember To Be Thankful
No matter how much your family may fight and bicker, at the end of the day, they’re your family. You’re lucky to have people in your life that will love you unconditionally no matter what happens. Remind everyone of that when the fights start, and hopefully they will see how childish they’re acting. Then you can get back to enjoying the holidays.
