How to Cope With Family Company Over The Holidays

Holidays are associated with family time, but house guests can add a lot of stress! Here are some easy ways to make your family time as enjoyable as possible!

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Patience
• Time

1. 
    
   Be clear about setting your schedule so your guests know what to expect before they arrive.

   Prepare your guest(s): If you only have a few days off over the holidays and you need some down time with out social obligations, invite your guests for a part of the time you have off, not the whole time. Three out of four days, for example.
   Be honest with your loved ones- that you have a hectic life, and you might not have big activities or entertainments planned for each day of their visit. Your family will know what to expect and won't build up big visions, or be disappointed. If you have guests who have traveled a long way, they will probably enjoy a day of rest too!

2. 
    
   Do what you can to ready the house far in advance

   Prepare your house: Weeks ahead (if possible) start preparing your home for your visitors. Do the general cleaning and laying in supplies as early as possible. A few days ahead do the vacuuming and making up beds and guest rooms. The day of arrival there will be less to clean and prep, and you can focus on seeing your loved ones.

3. 
    
   Find and line up some activities that are fun and get everyone out of the house.

   Prepare some "exciting" activities: If you have out-of -town guests coming, they will probably want to see some of the sights in your town or city. Plan a day of "big name" sight seeing like historical features or famous landmarks, or an outing at a nice restaurant with a concert, sporting event, or play. If you have more low key guests or a tighter budget, look for local holiday events to go to, or spend a day doing a walking tour or shopping.
   The main thing is to have an option that gets your loved ones out of the house if you- or they- need a break, or just to make some wonderful memories.

4. 
    
   Plan activities that will interest your guests, but let them have fun at home.

   Prepare some at home activities: When you set up your family visit, try to get an idea of what interests and hobbies your guests currently have. Before your guest/s arrive, go to the library, book store, music store or movie store and rent or buy some things that will interest and entertain your guests so you can have a quiet day at home together. If you have a Civil War enthusiast coming over, find some movies you can watch together. If you have a foodie arriving, buy or borrow some cook books and try recipes together.

5. 
    
   Consider a car for your guests, if appropriate.

   It may not be possible for you to provide a car due to your means or the abilities of your loved ones, but if it is, consider having a car for your guests to borrow. It goes without saying that if you rent a car, or loan out one of your own, you must know the driver will be healthy and responsible enough to handle driving in your area and in the weather you are experiencing.
   However, if you feel that your guests meet the criteria, have a car, maps, or GPS and some spare keys ready. This way your guests can go where they like, when they like, and you can worry about playing host, not chauffeur.

Tips & Warnings

• Be honest and clear about what you have in mind for your family visit.
• PREPARE PREPARE PREPARE! Do whatever you can ahead of time!
• Don't sweat the small stuff- have a good time with your family. You only have one family and limited time together, so enjoy it.
• This works for my family- I don't know your family. I hope this helps, but all families are different.

[joanhaines]

on 12/17/2009 This is perfect. I just found out I'll be having house guests after Christmas. There's still time to prepare. Thanks so much.