Lifestyle

Surviving awkward relatives over the holidays

Compromise, love is the key

You can choose your friends but not your family…if you find yourself dreading big family get-
togethers over Christmas  more than genuinely looking forward to the chance to catch up
and spend quality time together, take heed of the following tips

1.    Put politics on the backburner. …
2.    Share the load.
3.    Drink mindfully.
4.    ‘Tis the season (to avoid sniping).
5.    Compromise is key.
6.    Focus on the positives.

Thomas G Plante, on the website, PsychologyToday, gives the following advice:

Some relatives may use the holidays to act out family dynamics, old sibling rivalries, and so forth. Comments are made, questions asked, and behaviour occur that all try to get you to explode with upset. If it has happened before to you it will likely happen again from the same people so expect it and don’t take the bait.

Also read: Visiting KNP over the festive season: This is what you should know

If you know it is coming you can plan for it.
Take an adult time out. Take a walk around the block. Perhaps go and see what
the kids are doing, going to the bathroom, or helping with the dishes or
preparations can get you some time away from folks who drive you crazy.
Keep the big picture in mind. While we all may love to have an ideal holiday with
family and friends, the reality is that most people really don’t have the kind of
relationships that we wished we had.

The big picture for some is that you have to
survive a few hours or days with the family during the holidays and then you can
get back to your normal life. The big picture is to survive without too much family
drama. Keep the expectations reasonable and doable.
Be grateful. No matter how stressful family can be, it really is important to be
grateful for what we do have. If you are reading this blog, then you are alive, have
internet access, and have at least some free time to surf the net. Be grateful for
that.

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Emelda Tintswalo Shipalana

Tintswalo Shipalana, a journalist for the Letaba Herald, has been in the media industry for over a decade. She started her journey in radio, but ended up in print which is her first love. She joined the Herald newspaper as a cadet in 2016, where she graduated with a journalism qualification from the Caxton Training Academy. She also has a qualification in Feature Writing from the University of Cape Town and a Media Management qualification from Wits University. She is completing her BA Communication Science degree with UNISA. She sleeps well at night knowing she is a voice to the voiceless and her work contributes to promoting local talent, businesses and service delivery. Her love for her community keeps her working hard every day.

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