3 Tips to Get Along With Your Family at Christmas

Last updated on: November 28, 2017 at 12:45 pm by Dr. Laurel Shaler

3 Tips to Get Along With Your Family at Christmas 2017-11-28T12:45:35-04:00 Dr. Laurel Shaler

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (ESV)

Thanksgiving has passed, and Christmas is just around the corner. It really can be “the most wonderful time of the year”, but sometimes dealing with family time during this season can be stressful. Maybe you don’t get along with everyone in your family. Or perhaps you are just not used to spend much time with them. It could be that you set high expectations for a picture perfect time with family, and you wind up disappointed when that doesn’t happen.

So, what can you do to enjoy this time of year? Here are a few ideas:

1) Plan well. If you are travelling to visit family or if they are travelling to visit you, make sure you know exactly who is staying where. Don’t surprise both sides of the family by having them all show up at once. Especially if those sides are divorced parents who don’t get along. Speaking of which, don’t be afraid to set boundaries with family. If you invite family to your home, make it clear who is staying where. Be fair. But be firm. And if you are going to stay with family, make sure it is clear what the expectations are. Will you need to bring an air mattress? Should you plan to chip in for groceries? Is there a “lights out” time at the home you will be visiting? Some of these may sound silly, but they can help avoid problems between you and your loved ones.

2) Stay away from controversial topics. I am not saying that you can’t or shouldn’t share your faith with the people you care about the most. What I am saying is that talking politics as you decorate the tree may not win you any points with your family. In today’s society when many people live apart from their relatives, this precious time together should be spent enjoying and sharing life together. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have heart-to-heart conversations about your faith. Quite the opposite because face-to-face is the best way to have those. But, speak in love. Don’t debate. Don’t argue. Just share about Jesus in love.

3) Be flexible. Instead of being demanding and wanting to do everything your own way, allow your family to choose the restaurant, the activity, or the movie. In addition to this kind of flexibility, I encourage you to be forgiving. If your loved one gets irritable when tired or hungry, try not to take it personally. Remember, you may not get to spend much time with them and should take advantage of this time together by focusing on being together rather than what you are doing together. Finally, be willing to pitch in and help out and allow others to do the same. This makes less work and less stress for everyone.

I hope your family time is wonderful this holiday season. If you are not able to see your family at this time of year, you can still use these tips at other times of year.

Your turn: Do you have any other tips for getting along with family over Christmas?

christmastable copy

Uncategorized

christmas

how to get along with family at christmas

stress free christmas

Previous Post

November 23, 2017

3 Tips for Generating Gratitude

Next Post

November 30, 2017 I Testified In Court Today

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month December 2019 November 2019 September 2019 May 2019 April 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which book comes last in the New Testament?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Jude Acts Revelation 2 Peter