It’s like the second you go to university, you’re suddenly supposed to be in a relationship. It can’t just be me who goes home to my family for Thanksgiving and gets the third degree on my relationship status. It varies from, “are there any special boys in your life,” to “why haven’t you managed to find someone, you’re in fourth year!”
I’ll tell you now if you’re heading home for your first holiday after starting university, it isn’t easy. If you’ve been through this before, like me, you’ve come up with your own defences to get through those annoying conversations. Here are my tips for staying calm, cool, and collected so you can enjoy your Thanksgiving turkey.
Make a good joke out of it
For example, grandmas tend to say things like, “Why don’t you have a boyfriend? You’re going to be done university soon, where will you meet a man then?” Don’t get mad, they’re just looking out for you. Remember, most of your grandparents were already married by your age. Instead of getting defensive about your single status, lighten up the conversation quickly by responding with something like, “I have no idea Grandma, I guess I’ll have to start shopping online for a husband.”
Divert the attention
It’s much easier to make your family members forget that you’re single AF when you remind them that your siblings hold records for longest keg stands, your cousins have the worst attendance record in university history, and that the turkey tastes dry. Sure, your family members may get irritated with you, but at least you don’t have to talk about your lack of romantic relationship.
Dive into the dirty deets about your siblings’ relationships
It’s hard being the single sibling at the dinner table. It opens the floor for people to make fun of you for all the possible reasons you are single. It gives your grandparents lots of questions to ask, and frankly, your siblings’ significant others are sitting at the table wondering why you’re getting all the attention. So, I would highly suggest taking advantage of this opportunity when Grandpa yells down the table to you, “When are you gonna bring home a nice man to family dinner?” All you have to do is say, “We can’t take away from my brother’s happiness, how have you guys been doing lately? Any big announcements to make?” When everyone thinks your brother knocked up his girlfriend or proposed and forgot to tell the family, they’ll forget all about your lack of significant other.
Remind them of your goals
Surely one of your family members recalls that your sister was engaged to her husband when she was your age (outrageous right!). And why wouldn’t they take this opportunity to remind you of this? Of course they will! And since they want to remind you of how far behind your sister you are in that department, this is a great opportunity to tell them how your thesis is going, or how you’re so close to graduating with honours you can smell it. This would be an excellent opportunity to also remind them how much educational success you’ve had since your sister got married, and that you’re gearing up for a successful career. Remind. Them. How. Awesome. You. Are. Without. A. Relationship.
It’s a tough time of year for single folk. After all, it’s cuffing season, so everyone else is pairing up. This is definitely a holiday where you’re playing defence. You should not have to defend your proud single status to your family members, and with these tips, hopefully you won’t have to!