As we start this week, so too begins the holiday season. While it is wonderful to spend time with friends and family over the holidays, it can also be very stressful, especially if you’re the host.I had the unfortunate experience recently of witnessing a mother-in-law meltdown; she just became overwhelmed at the thought of fixing Thanksgiving dinner, hosting out of town relatives overnight, and deciding how to handle the family gift exchange. I fear the added stress of knowing her youngest son is getting married in just 100 days kicked her over the edge.
To help her hold it together, we decided to eliminate as much Thanksgiving related stress as we could by working together. Hopefully you can help lighten the holiday load by incorporating some of these tips into your family get togethers:
· Ask for help! If you’re kind enough to host, that doesn’t mean that you have to cook everything, too. When people ask “What can I bring?” take them up on the offer. Delegate! Ask someone to cover desert and another person to bring an appetizer. If Cousin Katie isn’t such a good cook, ask her to bring a bottle of wine or perhaps a store-bought veggie tray.
· Call in a prep crew. Six members of my family committed to spending Saturday afternoon at my in-laws home helping them prep for the festivities. The guys helped dad in the yard rake leaves and mow, while the ladies tackled cleaning the indoors.
· Prep as much as you can. We went ahead and set up the tables for Thursday’s dinner. Bringing in extra linens, tables, chairs, plates, and silver is a lot of work, so ask your crew to help you set it up. Lay all glassware on its side and cover the set table with clean sheets.
Don’t feel as if you shouldn’t ask others for their help. It was actually fun for all of us to chip in and help with the setup. Not only was our work truly appreciated, but it was great spending time with family and getting to talk before the holiday.
As we start this holiday season, keep the big picture in mind. Be thankful for the people who have chosen to spend Thanksgiving with you. Even if your house isn’t picture perfect, the only person who will probably notice is you.
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