Teen's Guide to Surviving Thanksgiving
How to Dress, Ease Stress and Have Fun on Turkey Day
Oct 11, 2008
Remember that although you want to look chic and fashionable, a Thanksgiving outfit should also be comfortable. Save the tight dress for a winter party. The holiday will no doubt be a mix of outdoor and indoor celebration, sitting and eating.
Whether wearing pants, a skirt or a dress, the most important idea is to layer. Outdoors may be warm or cold (or, as the day turns to night, a mixture of both) but inside is almost undoubtedly hot due to the oven and food preparation. Be sure to wear or bring a sweater, and consider an accessory such as a hat (either for sun or cold) that can be worn outside and then stashed in a purse.
Entertain Young Relatives
A big way that teens or tweens can help out at Thanksgiving is to offer to entertain younger cousins or relatives during the day. Kids will no doubt be rambunctious and excited before dinnertime and need ideas to use their energy.
It’d be nice to entertain the young ones out of the goodness of your heart – and for the sake of keeping some family sanity – but if an additional incentive is needed, consider an agreed-upon babysititng fee with an older relative or a bargain (e.g. getting to wear Mom’s dress or jewelry to an upcoming winter dance.)
Some ideas for keeping the little ones busy;
Play dress-up:
Bring old clothes that you plan to donate and ask relatives to do the same. Young ones will love to make outfits out of the clothing items. Draw themes out of a hat – “movie star”, “western”, “snow bunny” – or place different clothes into multiple boxes and give a box to each child. Then have a “fashion show” outside or in a long corridor such as the front hallway.
Don’t exclude the boys in this activity. They like to play dress-up, too!
Kids can also bring their recently worn Halloween costumes to trade for the next year.
When dress-up is complete, assemble all the clothes and donate them to charity or a thrift store. Make sure clothes are clean and in good condition. This way, you’re not only having fun, but you’re doing good on Thanksgiving.
Bring fashion magazines:
Get out paper, scissors and glue and have the kids make fashion collages. Give them ideas of outfits to look for or let them go wild in choosing any items they like.
Take the kids outside:
As long as the weather is agreeable, go into the yard with the young ones and run around. Bring a variety of balls to play with (an impromptu game of soccer; badminton; kickball) or make up a game. By the time dinner is ready, the kids will be tired enough to sit still in their chairs.
Adults Want Fun, Too
Don’t forget that the adults may want to pass time before dinner, or between dinner and dessert, as well. Some will probably head for the television, but for those that want more entertainment, try board games, puzzles, Wii or trivia.
Food Issues
There may be one or more dishes that you dislike. If it’s something you’ve never tried before, it’s polite to at least taste the food – and you never know, you may like it.
But if it’s really something you don’t want to eat, refrain from making a big deal about it. A polite way to decline is a sentence like this: “It looks deliciously prepared, but I don’t eat meat.”
If a relative serves you the food anyway, don’t say anything further. Simply eat the rest of the meal and avoid the unwanted food.
Consider offering to bring a side dish the next year so there will be something that you can count on liking to eat.
