How To Do Just About Everything
Avoid Arguments at Holiday Dinners
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The holiday season can be depressing enough on it's own...let alone incorporating family drama and blow-out fights during a celebratory dinner. Don't fall victim to the many potential provocations...give yourself a good memory of the dinner as opposed to last years memory of mom crying, dad screaming, objects flying...and enjoy each others company and feast!
When sitting down at the table refrain from making jokes at the expense of others. Your tone sets the mood. Don't make people ansy or feel on guard.
Avoid at all costs discussions/comments/facts about politics, religion or money. If the dinner conversation vears towards any of the above mentioned topics, with delicate tact and finesse lead the conversation out of the black hole and onto a subject of mutual interest between you and your family/guests.
If a conversation does start to get ugly avoid shouting, silencing, or reprimanding people. Stay calm and unaffected and gently seperate the parties concerned by asking for their help in the kitchen or asking them questions about the topics that they feel most positively passionate towards.
If the fight cannot be broken up or the dinner proceeds in an uncomfortable way, suggest sitting in the living room to finish the meal (in a less formal environment) or suggest a game or opening presents. Do your best to diminish (within your guests) the inevitable concentration on the negative tension that has built up.
eHow Member: Eleonora Fatuzzo-Nord
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By:
eHow Relationships & Family Editor
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Novice 
Comments
cagliostro said
on 1/29/2008 When the stupid look at the sky, the only thing can be seen by him is the finger!
Why always the medium one????
Eleonora said
on 1/29/2008 I find this comment to be not only unprofessional and unsupportive within the writers community but self agrandizing and utterly inappropriate as well. I believe in tact and being respectful and such comments should be emailed privately as they are of concern between us and not to be aired as dirty laundry for our readers to see. Next time you want to give a grammar lesson, you should so in a classroom environment.
kathryncleve said
on 1/29/2008 I see "it's" and "its" used incorrectly ALL the time, in print and on television. That nearly drives me crazy!
"It's" is a contraction of "It is."If what you're really saying is "it is," "there is," or "who is," then use the apostrophe version. So, it's, there's, and who's.
Its is the possessive form. The dog chewed its bone. (You would never say "The dog chewed it is bone," would you?
Use its, whose, and theirs for possessives. How do you remember this? Just remember that possessive pronouns have everything--except apostrophes.