Bulletproof Yourself For Christmas With The Inlaws
Spending the holidays with your family is something most people look forward to. And then there are a few who dread the very thought of it. Have you ever asked “your parents are coming here this year?” with a tone that made it sound like “there’s a meteor headed towards Earth and we’re all going to die?”.
There are inlaws whose sole purpose in life is to take you to the edge of insanity. There are the parents who never felt you were good enough to marry their baby. There is the brother-in-law whose life was the inspiration for You, Me and Dupree. There is the little sister-in-law whose personal mission is digging up dirt about you. Or making it up if necessary.
As much as you might like to spend the entire holiday liquored up, there are some better options that don’t involve building a protective shield out of martini olives. You can bulletproof yourself from all the crazy inlaw antics easily with just a little planning. Here’s how:
Plan Some Away Time
Try to get away for a few hours each day or even most of the day once in awhile. Put together an event schedule for yourself that includes visiting friends, getting out to do some charity work, shopping and whatever else you can think of. The key is to enjoy these little breaks and not spend them fuming over the fact that you’re least favorite in-law berated everything you prepared for dinner or put the cat in the dishwasher.
This is always a little risky, but you could try planning some away time for your in-laws. Or try taking them shopping with you. Hey, it’s a big mall. You got separated, forgot they were with you and left them there. It happens … wink wink
Kill Them With Kindness
Adversarial people love poking at others to get a reaction. If you give them a different reaction than what they’re looking for you can shut down their tactics. Get yourself into the playing stupid zone. No matter what they say or do, be nice and pour it on thick. Do extra little things to be helpful like washing and drying their favorite wool sweater. It looked a little big on them anyway.
Get The Goods On Them
Guaranteed, your inlaws have secrets they don’t want anyone to know about. Especially you.
Pay attention. Look fo little clues. Dig deep into the things they don’t like talking about. Once the find the ammunition you need you can hold them hostage with it or start firing back.
Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff
Okay, everything here is all meant to be in good fun. The truth is, most of the time people don’t get along because they don’t understand one another. Don’t sweat it. Be yourself. Keep an open mind and give your crazy inlaws some time to get comfortable with the idea that you’re part of the family now.
