Family during Christmas/ Picture: Pexels
For a lot of us, festive holiday time means returning home after an extended time away, which means reuniting with family members that we haven’t seen or spoken to in a long time. Navigating the right things to say can be tricky in this instance, so here are a few tips on things you definitely should not say.
In as much as it is exciting to go home for the holding, an uncomfortable truth to grapple with is that it is almost equally dreadful as it comes with much chaos and disruption from one’s everyday life. Furthermore, it can also mean dealing with relatives who struggle with keeping their intrusive thoughts to themselves.
If you are one of these relatives, this is specifically for you and will help you become a bit more thoughtful of those around you and how they may be affected by the things you say to them.
Before getting into that, it is important to remember the main point of going home for the holidays, to be with the people who have known and loved you for most or all of your life. It is also a chance to revisit old and fond memories as well as
Here are things we think would be best left unsaid this holiday, with some depending on context of course:
1. Comments about physical appearance
Weight can often be a sensitive topic, therefore, limiting or avoiding any uninvited comments about people’s weight is strongly discouraged. Roots Relational Therapy
2. Unnecessary comments
Try to avoid comments that have the potential to cause conflict or tension. Do you know that thing that we all usually do when we want to annoy or get our relative’s nerves? Maybe try to stay clear of these unless you are certain the recipient will understand your humour.
3. Making too many inside/ ‘you had to be there’ jokes
Holiday time exposes just how much time each person spends with others, although it is not necessarily by choice. Excessively sharing jokes that will be understood by a select few is one way to ensure that others feel left out.
4. Asking about relationships and marriage
Although this might come from a genuine place, this question tends to make some people uncomfortable and places unnecessary pressure on them. If your relative has not openly engaged you in any conversation regarding this topic, rather keep it safe and wait for them to open up to you.
5. Inquiring about school results/ Graduation
Anyone who has experienced this will tell you how unpleasant it is to constantly have to answer questions about when you’re finishing school and even why you chose the field of study you’re in. This question often comes from family members who were not as interested in your well-being throughout the course of the year, making the interrogation seem anything but genuine.
If you are someone who makes a habit of asking about this, take a step back and consider the feelings of your loved ones.
Also see: Essential tips for family beach day
