In our current political climate, it might be hard to avoid some heated discussions this year at Thanksgiving. If you want to avoid all things politics, elections, and Trump, follow these 7 easy tips:
- Talk about how school is
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This is easy but talk about yourself and how school is going. Keeping the conversation focused on how the family is at school and work, or even in their hobbies and interests can keep things far away from politics.
- Change the conversation
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If things take a turn for the worse, don’t be afraid to change the topic of conversation. Simply ask that you want to avoid politics for the holidays, or leave the situation completely by excusing yourself and grabbing more food or another drink.
- Be confident in yourself
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Don’t let other people’s opinions make you second guess yourself. Be confident in your own beliefs. If you decide to get involved with political discussion, make sure you know what you’re talking about and are confident in it.
- Address problematic behavior later in private
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If somebody says something problematic or offensive, save the argument and just finish the dinner. At a later time, and in private, address the fact that their comments or choice of words offended you or made you uncomfortable. It might not completely change their mind, but they might think about what they say before they say it in the future.
- Create a seating chart wth place cards
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If your home is hosting Thanksgiving, ask if you can create place cards. This can determine who sits by who and can assist in avoiding political discussion.
- Prep conversation starters
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Think of conversation starters before the day so that the conversation never has to take a turn to politics. Some great starters include asking about school, family, work, sports, or other commonalities.
- Ban politics completely
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The ultimate ending to politics at the dinner table would be to ban politics completely. A way to enforce this is to make a “politics jar”. If somebody makes a comment about politics they have to put a dollar or two in. Then take the jar and donate the money inside!