By Lily Lomelo
Make place cards and assign seating.
If you know that some family members don’t get along, put them at opposite ends of the table. Homemade place cards can also add a nice touch. You can even decorate them with glitter or Christmas stickers!
Include fun Christmas games.
If conversation lags or approaches touchy subjects, try to introduce a game like The Thankful Game. In this game, you go around the table and each person says what they're thankful for, to keep the game going the next person has to remember and restate what the last person was thankful for. Games like these help keep the feeling joyful and remind us to stay grateful.
Invite some outsiders.
If you know some difficult family members that are attending, invite some easy-going friends who can guide the conversation to some lighter topics to avoid conflict. It’s even possible that your family will behave better when there are other people around that they just met.
Limit alcohol intake.
A fun family event doesn’t have to include alcohol! Instead of serving wine, make a virgin fruit cocktail or serve sparkling apple cider. If someone brings alcohol politely explain that you are having a drink free evening or discreetly hide it in a cabinet.
Make fun activities for kids.
Most young children dislike sitting quietly at the dinner table for long periods of time. They want to have fun! Have them play outside (with supervision) or go to a secluded area and play board games. If there are teens who usually mope around on their phones, pay them to babysit the younger kids!
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