How To Survive Christmas With Your In-Laws

The holidays seem to throw together the far-flung branches of the family tree. While we prepare ourselves to face our own families, there is, of course, the inevitable gathering with the in-laws. Yahoo! Shine has some great tips for surviving the holidays with your significant other’s family.

1. Expect the unexpected. The family members could do or say anything at any moment, so brace yourself. An uncle could try to put the spotlight on you while you’d rather stay quietly sequestered in a corner, or grandma could ask a rather embarrassing question that turns all attention on you.

2. Just go with it. In the same vein as number 1, when those awkward questions and embarrassing moments come along, take a deep breath and laugh it off. It might make things more awkward to make a big deal of an uncomfortable situation.

3. Don’t feel like you have to eat everything. As with any big meal, pace yourself. Also, don’t feel pressured to eat what you don’t feel comfortable eating. If you have special dietary needs, like vegan or gluten-free, don’t make a fuss about what you can’t eat; rather, quietly find what you can eat.

4. Learn everyone’s names. Addressing someone by their name makes a great impression. If you have trouble remembering names, try to say it three times before you walk away from that person.

5. Know the house rules. Try to learn beforehand what is expected. Are drinks self-serve, will you be expected to assist with clean-up, what rooms are off-limits, and so on.

6. Leave your cutesy-coupley things at home. Don’t use the nicknames you have for each other in front of the in-laws. You might also want to keep PDA to a minimum so as not to make anyone else uncomfortable.

7. Respect your significant other. Just like you might have a pet name for your sweetie, their family might have some names they use. If you hear one of these, don’t use it yourself as it might be a name that your significant other isn’t fond of.

You can read more at Yahoo! Shine.