Fighting over the Christmas movie to morphing into a stroppy teenager, a family Christmas is full of potential pitfalls. So instead of stomping up the stairs screaming 'I hate Christmas!' circa 2003, here's our guide to surviving a family Christmas...
- Just remember it's only one day. Fighting over the last bit of sherry might seem like the most important thing in the world but in retrospect, it really isn't. Same goes for the mince pies...
- Be realistic. You may imagine images of a happy Christmas gathered around the fireplace but no (real) Christmas is perfect. Prepare to enjoy it and you might even be surprised!
- Get busy. From taking care of the little kids to making sure the turkey isn't burning, this way you get to chat to everyone for just a small time. And you'll get to avoid the family friend that keeps saying 'how meaty you've got'.
- Avoid touchy subjects. There's always somebody who loves to create some drama so don't rise to it.
- Enjoy yourself. You might be gritting your teeth at having to watch Home Alone 3 for the millionth time instead of the Doctor Who special but remember: the next Christmas is 364 days away!
Words by Layla Haidrani