Jalisa Nichole
- Nov 21, 2019
- 2 min read

Surviving the Holidays with your Crazy Blended Family

Celebrating Thanksgiving (or any Holiday) with family comes with its set of challenges.

Who cooks the food? Whose house should we use? Do we bring gifts?

And it can be especially difficult when families are blended. Blended families could be the result of parents divorcing, new marriages, or just in-laws visiting from out of town. Regardless of the situation, we all want to make the best of each and every holiday gathering! Right?

Here are my 5 tips on surviving this Holiday season with your amazing(or crazy) family!

1. Choose a neutral location with a lot of space

Having a celebration at neutral location will be the first step in making everyone feel comfortable. Don't want to fork out the cash to rent a space? Pick an easy going family member whose home has lots of space, and ask them to host.

2. Plan an activity that encourages everyone to work together (and get along)

Last year my family started a new tradition on Thanksgiving. Each year we will create Blessing Bags for the homeless. We will purchase separate items to contribute to the bags, and spend time putting them together after we finish dinner. This activity not only brings the family together for a common goal, but allows us to give back and bless others in the process.

3. Divvy out the responsibilities

No one likes to feel as though they've done all the work. Make sure the responsibilities (cooking, cleaning, planning, decorating) are shared among everyone. If you see a family member in need, lend a helping hand ( It'll prevent a lot of arguments, trust me).

4. Bring extra Drinks and Snacks

Dinner doesn't always start at 2PM like they said. (rolls eyes) Bring some extra drinks and snacks to prevent everyone from being HANGRY! & don't forget to share!

5. Remember the reason for the season

Clichè right? Well maybe! But if we all remember what the holidays mean, it'll be too hard to think about who made you mad at the Labor Day BBQ. The holidays are for giving thanks, spending time with the people you love, and family traditions. Enjoy your family while you can!