How to Remain Sane When Staying With Relatives This Christmas
Shipping out to spend time with the family this Yuletide? Follow these tips to ensure your visit is festive, not fraught
With families spread far and wide these days, visiting for Christmas often means more than a simple day trip. But staying with your in-laws or returning to the home you grew up in for a few nights can involve its own unique stresses.
Organising the journey, transporting family and presents, squashing up in the spare room and spending long days indoors with your relatives is not always a recipe for a good time. So before you load up the car and hit the motorway, check out these seasonal ideas for preparing and enjoying a Christmas away.
Organising the journey, transporting family and presents, squashing up in the spare room and spending long days indoors with your relatives is not always a recipe for a good time. So before you load up the car and hit the motorway, check out these seasonal ideas for preparing and enjoying a Christmas away.
2. Channel your inner child
Stop being a jaded adult and get back in touch with your inner child. Reconnect with all that’s fun, celebratory and jolly about Christmas by joining in party games, playing music and eating your favourite food. See the magic in the Advent calendar, a decorated tree and a roaring fire. You could even leave a stocking out…
Planning a renovation in the New Year? Find your perfect contractors in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
Stop being a jaded adult and get back in touch with your inner child. Reconnect with all that’s fun, celebratory and jolly about Christmas by joining in party games, playing music and eating your favourite food. See the magic in the Advent calendar, a decorated tree and a roaring fire. You could even leave a stocking out…
Planning a renovation in the New Year? Find your perfect contractors in the Houzz Professionals Directory.
3. Travel well to arrive happy
A stressful journey can banish any Christmas cheer and set the holiday off on the wrong foot. So if you’re driving to family, check your route, note the better-quality service areas for a break and give the car a once-over first.
Travelling with children? Download favourite films or shows to the tablet and stock up on other entertainment – and endless snacks. Try to enjoy some family time, too, playing games or listening to favourite music playlists.
If you’re travelling by train, leave for the station in plenty of time and try to reserve seats. Wear the right gear, too. Save your party dress for when you arrive and, instead, dress comfortably for the journey.
A stressful journey can banish any Christmas cheer and set the holiday off on the wrong foot. So if you’re driving to family, check your route, note the better-quality service areas for a break and give the car a once-over first.
Travelling with children? Download favourite films or shows to the tablet and stock up on other entertainment – and endless snacks. Try to enjoy some family time, too, playing games or listening to favourite music playlists.
If you’re travelling by train, leave for the station in plenty of time and try to reserve seats. Wear the right gear, too. Save your party dress for when you arrive and, instead, dress comfortably for the journey.
4. Focus on what you have
At some point during the festivities, step back and take a moment to observe everybody in action. The scene may be slightly shambolic, but it’s yours, so enjoy all the people and activity going on around you and try to see it all through wry and forgiving eyes.
At some point during the festivities, step back and take a moment to observe everybody in action. The scene may be slightly shambolic, but it’s yours, so enjoy all the people and activity going on around you and try to see it all through wry and forgiving eyes.
5. Anticipate issues
Most of us have experienced enough family Christmases to be able to anticipate the problems that could arise. Does your mum buy terrible wine? Take a few nice bottles yourself. Perhaps your aunt forgets you’re vegetarian? Drop her a line to gently remind her before you leave. Do your kids always go loco around 3pm in the afternoon? Arrange for them to sit quietly with a film at this point in the day, and take a tablet or laptop along so they can watch it without disturbing other people.
You don’t need to trample all over your host’s plans, but guessing where things can come unstuck and being prepared in advance can really help on the day.
Most of us have experienced enough family Christmases to be able to anticipate the problems that could arise. Does your mum buy terrible wine? Take a few nice bottles yourself. Perhaps your aunt forgets you’re vegetarian? Drop her a line to gently remind her before you leave. Do your kids always go loco around 3pm in the afternoon? Arrange for them to sit quietly with a film at this point in the day, and take a tablet or laptop along so they can watch it without disturbing other people.
You don’t need to trample all over your host’s plans, but guessing where things can come unstuck and being prepared in advance can really help on the day.
6. Be nice!
Try to swerve family conflict by ignoring any grumbles that surface through the day, and make a point of being the perfect visitor. At dinner, take small servings of everything and compliment the cook.
Practise your ‘it’s lovely!’ face for when opening presents and, if you feel your stress levels rising, remember this is just one day in the entire year.
More: Planning a Family Kitchen? Here’s Your Essential Checklist
Try to swerve family conflict by ignoring any grumbles that surface through the day, and make a point of being the perfect visitor. At dinner, take small servings of everything and compliment the cook.
Practise your ‘it’s lovely!’ face for when opening presents and, if you feel your stress levels rising, remember this is just one day in the entire year.
More: Planning a Family Kitchen? Here’s Your Essential Checklist
7. Leave your own house tidy
If coming home could be the highlight of your Christmas, make sure you leave it looking as neat as a pin. Put a few decorations up before you depart to stay with family, so the festive spirit continues once you’re back.
You could even squirrel away a few homecoming gifts for you and your immediate family to enjoy quietly together once you’re home.
If coming home could be the highlight of your Christmas, make sure you leave it looking as neat as a pin. Put a few decorations up before you depart to stay with family, so the festive spirit continues once you’re back.
You could even squirrel away a few homecoming gifts for you and your immediate family to enjoy quietly together once you’re home.
8. Take a break
Christmas Day itself can involve a lot of time indoors, overindulging and squashed up with family on too-small sofas. It can feel a tad claustrophobic, so don’t forget to factor in a bit of time out. Go for a walk, sneak off for a bath, creep upstairs for a nap or even volunteer to wash up if it allows you to quietly take five in the kitchen.
Christmas Day itself can involve a lot of time indoors, overindulging and squashed up with family on too-small sofas. It can feel a tad claustrophobic, so don’t forget to factor in a bit of time out. Go for a walk, sneak off for a bath, creep upstairs for a nap or even volunteer to wash up if it allows you to quietly take five in the kitchen.
9. Create a diversion
If family niggles are beginning to surface, be ready to distract everyone. Pack some goodies from home that might help, including games or a film that everyone will enjoy.
Got a cute dog? Take him along, too, and he may provide some welcome light relief. “Oh look, everyone, Barney’s stolen a roast potato!”
If family niggles are beginning to surface, be ready to distract everyone. Pack some goodies from home that might help, including games or a film that everyone will enjoy.
Got a cute dog? Take him along, too, and he may provide some welcome light relief. “Oh look, everyone, Barney’s stolen a roast potato!”
10. Bring a piece of home
Do as actors and pop divas do on tour and smuggle something along that reminds you of home. It might be a beautiful decoration, a scented candle, your favourite pillow or a box of indulgent Christmas chocolates. Sometimes, it’s the little things that make all the difference…
Tell us…
How do you ensure Christmas spent with family goes with a festive swing? Share your tips in the Comments.
Do as actors and pop divas do on tour and smuggle something along that reminds you of home. It might be a beautiful decoration, a scented candle, your favourite pillow or a box of indulgent Christmas chocolates. Sometimes, it’s the little things that make all the difference…
Tell us…
How do you ensure Christmas spent with family goes with a festive swing? Share your tips in the Comments.
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Not just literally, but emotionally, too. Accept your host’s house rules and accommodate any kinks and quirks in the way they live.
Sure, it might not be how you’d do it back home, but for a short time it’s more important to acknowledge your host’s efforts and enjoy Christmas their way.