We all love our families (if for no other reason than we have to), but sometimes, especially over the holidays, being in such close confines with them for an extended amount of time can cause us to lose our minds.
Here are some suggestions to prevent that from happening over the Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks.
Students would be wise to follow this etiquette guide at family gatherings to prevent family relations from degrading any more than they already have. If nothing else, students can salvage their relationships with their third cousins twice removed. After all, the distant relatives are usually the most amiable.
For close family, however, here are a few guidelines for every Cougar.
Name-calling is never appropriate, even with lawyers or law students present. Just don’t do it. Save yourself from the shocked look on your mother’s face.
Vegans shouldn’t sniff the spinach to see if Granny slipped in bacon grease for seasoning. If you’re absolutely sure that she did – in other words, if she’s done it for the past three years – feel free to only munch on the bread rolls and drink water ‘hellip; or beer if they have it. Dear God, we all hope they do.
If you don’t see your favorite dish, and this includes sweet potatoes with marshmallows, they probably don’t have it, so don’t ask. And don’t comment on the dinner preparation unless asked in advance.
Just smile sweetly if the conversation centers on Sarah Palin’s qualifications. Conversations at the dinner table about universal health care proposals are to be avoided at all cost anywhere in Texas.
Texting and checking Twitter or Facebook updates at the dinner table is rude. Granny, Pa and most of your aunts and uncles ‘just don’t understand,’ but that’s not their responsibility. Wait until after dinner.
And if all else fails and a family member begins to cry or scream uncontrollably, calmly stand up and ask if anyone would like seconds.
