ALT-2 How to have a Stress Free Family Thanksgiving Dinner
First of all, Thanksgiving is a celebration and time to remember everything we have to be thankful for. The traditional family meal preparation should be fun and include the entire family; not just one person. If you are stressing out over the Thanksgiving preparations then stop, take a breath and remember what Thanksgiving is really all about; giving thanks. There are many ways to avoid stress at this very "stressful" time of the year. I have found that one of the best ways to have a stress-free Thanksgiving dinner is: don't try to do everything all by yourself! Avoiding stress at any time of the year is a real challenge, but at Thanksgiving many people put more stress on themselves than they should. So much of this stress could be avoided by sharing the responsibilities of the meal preparation with other members of the family. Get a list together of all the favorite foods that everyone looks so forward to having each year, and then assign each of adults one dish to make. Get the small children involved as well, by having them make festive table decorations. You could also put the they young ones in charge of setting the table. Use aluminum baking dishes, paper plates, throw away glasses and eating utencils so everyone can just toss their plate in the trash instead of having a pile of dishes waiting on you. It can be much easier if you set up your meal buffet style. That way everyone could just grab their plate and fill it themself instead of trying to pass the food around the table. By sharing the preparations and using disposable dishware, you will have much more time to enjoy the day with your loved ones.Remember when you start feeling the pressure, that a celebration should never be stressful. It should be fun to prepare and enjoy with entire family as you all gather together to give thanks.My suggestion to avoid stress this Thanksgiving is to remember what the day is really about and be joyful; full of thanks for everything. Include your family in all of the preparations and then, if you still find it stressful remember what Paul said in Phillipians 4:13; I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME. If you believe that, then you stress will be lifted and you will enjoy the true meaning of Thanksgiving with your family!
First of all, Thanksgiving is a celebration and time to remember everything we have to be thankful for. The traditional family meal preparation should be fun and include the entire family; not just one person. If you are stressing out over the Thanksgiving preparations then stop, take a breath and remember what Thanksgiving is really all about; giving thanks. There are many ways to avoid stress at this very "stressful" time of the year. I have found that one of the best ways to have a stress-free Thanksgiving dinner is: don't try to do everything all by yourself! Avoiding stress at any time of the year is a real challenge, but at Thanksgiving many people put more stress on themselves than they should. So much of this stress could be avoided by sharing the responsibilities of the meal preparation with other members of the family. Get a list together of all the favorite foods that everyone looks so forward to having each year, and then assign each of adults one dish to make. Get the small children involved as well, by having them make festive table decorations. You could also put the they young ones in charge of setting the table. Use aluminum baking dishes, paper plates, throw away glasses and eating utencils so everyone can just toss their plate in the trash instead of having a pile of dishes waiting on you. It can be much easier if you set up your meal buffet style. That way everyone could just grab their plate and fill it themself instead of trying to pass the food around the table. By sharing the preparations and using disposable dishware, you will have much more time to enjoy the day with your loved ones.
Remember when you start feeling the pressure, that a celebration should never be stressful. It should be fun to prepare and enjoy with entire family as you all gather together to give thanks.
My suggestion to avoid stress this Thanksgiving is to remember what the day is really about and be joyful; full of thanks for everything. Include your family in all of the preparations and then, if you still find it stressful remember what Paul said in Phillipians 4:13; I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME. If you believe that, then you stress will be lifted and you will enjoy the true meaning of Thanksgiving with your family!
