Help For Surviving A Family Get Together Without The Family Drama

Family drama is something that exists in every family so there is no reason to feel badly that your family isn’t the exception.  Family drama is any situation that becomes a relationship problem between family members or a certain family member that is always a problem.

Since family get togethers are not something you can or should always get out of attending, it is best to go in with strategies on how to handle the family drama when it occurs.  The first step is to stay calm.  Getting upset will just escalate the situation.  Sometimes, you will be able to joke with the person that is causing the problems and ease the tension.  If you can make them laugh, they may even forget what they were so upset about to begin with.

Sometimes, if you know who is likely to clash with you or just contributes to the majority of the family drama, it is best to just avoid them.  Of course, you don’t want to be rude.  Be sure to say hello and be cordial but try to find a place to sit that is far from the person that always manages to antagonize you.

Let someone run interference for you.  If you have an aunt that always asks you nosy questions or makes comments that are inappropriate, plan for that.  Choose someone that you are close to in the family and ask them to change the subject or take the difficult family member off to see something in another area.

You also should know your limits.  If you know you can only handle a family member causing family drama for a few hours then don’t make arrangements to spend a week together.  Plan for a shorter visit where you can actually leave on good terms with everyone rather than leaving with hurt feelings or feeling angry.

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