How to Have a Stress-Free Christmas Party for a Family
The Christmas holidays usually means that family gatherings are inevitable. They are as much a part of the season as decorating the tree and gift shopping. Traditional seasonal get-togethers or parties with your extended family members can add stress to this time of year, as you struggle to plan, organize and prepare for the occasion. Sometimes, the very thought of throwing this event can be overwhelming. However, it doesn't have to be stressful, if you keep certain things in mind.
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Instructions
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Set a budget for your family Christmas party. Decide how much you are going to spend on decorations, food and drinks, and stick to this budget, as much as you can.
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Restrict the number of guests. You may need to stipulate that this is a "family only" occasion, to prevent attendees from bringing extra people you don't know. If you want to have friends over for a holiday party, plan a separate one for them.
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Set a time period for your family Christmas party. Give family members a specific day, date and starting and ending times, so that they know not to overextend their welcome.
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Keep things simple. Planning an overly elaborate holiday party could end up with you taking on more than you are capable of accomplishing. For example, instead of serving a huge meal, serve hors d'oeuvres, drinks and a dessert, which are all easy to prepare ahead of time of your family event. If you decide to host a holiday dinner party, fix a main dish, such as a meat dish, and ask guests to bring a side dish.
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Avoid dealing with personal family issues, such as personal hostilities or ill feelings between family members. Remember that this is supposed to be a festive occasion. Using your Christmas party as a vehicle to attempt to "fix" these things may end up making circumstances worse and killing the spirit of the event. Keep the conversation lighthearted and free of controversial topics.
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Avoid serving too much alcohol to adult family members, to prevent guests from overindulging. It may even be best not to serve alcohol at all, if children are present. Instead serve soft drinks such as fruit punch, sparkling grape juice or apple cider, all of which both grownups and kids can enjoy.
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Play party games such as charades that both adult and child members of the family can participate in. Games always bring an element of fun to a gathering, as long as they don't get too overly competitive.
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Have a family "Pollyanna" or gift exchange, in which each family member brings a gift to the party and picks a name of another guest out of a hat to give their gift to. Set a limit to the dollar value of each gift to avoid competition, jealousy and conflict.
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Tips & Warnings
Ask for help in preparing for your party from other family members, if you need to.
