On this month’s Scroggins Law Group podcast, we talked about the holidays coming up quickly and about holiday visitation issues and holiday parties. While we prepare for everything to be perfect so that everyone has a good time, consider a few additional items on your list. Hosting a group of people with different thoughts and opinions on everything from soup to nuts can be manageable when you are well-prepared.
Making sure you have enough room and options
When you invite friends and family over for holiday parties, make sure there is room for people to spread out and people can carry on conversations with one another without being right up next to the next conversation. Giving people room can help set them at ease, especially if there are others with whom they are avoiding conversation.
When adults and children are celebrating your holiday party it is helpful to offer a few age-appropriate activities for boys and girls of all ages. While the adults may be enjoying a few beverages and conversation, teenagers might enjoy video games with the others their age, for example.
Drinking around yours and others’ children
Enjoying a few beverages with your family can be a good time, especially when people relax and enjoy one another’s company and stories about years past and what may be to come. Some people have a better experience with alcohol than others. If you are serving the drinks and monitoring your guests, you might keep an eye on people who are rare drinkers and might accidentally become a little overwhelmed.
Meanwhile, it can be a difficult job managing your holiday party when some people drink too much. While one may think that the younger children playing in the other room might notice, you might be surprised how well even young children can quickly detect a change in someone’s usual speech and behavior. Setting a good adult example around children should be a consistent practice.
Who are you inviting and are there conflicts?
If you are dating new people and have dated several new people, it might not be a good idea to bring another new person to a holiday event with family. Depending on how your family works, holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas may be anything from just another day to a sacred traditional holiday event. Especially if the latter is true in your family, children might be caused to read more into your guest than you expect. If the new significant other has not been around your kids for a significant time, it might not be a good idea to make an introduction to the children on a holiday.
We all know that relatives or in-laws who have a hard time keeping their opinions to themselves. When in mixed company there might be a temptation to talk about things that ears in the other room might not be intended to hear. If you know there is a pot-stirrer coming to your holiday party, take extra caution and be prepared with topic changes and quick options to contain any slip ups.
Texas Board Certified* divorce and family law attorney Mark Scroggins and the team at Scroggins Law Group in Plano, Texas represent clients in a variety of divorce and family law matters.
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