Christmas is a time to spend with family – right? Whether that fills you with joy or dread is completely down to your situation and no, I’m not going to put my feelings on the internet for all family members to see. 😉

If, like me and Ali, you have a lot of people you need to squeeze into a short amount of time then I have some tips for you – every year it feels like we need to manage ourselves even more. I’m not even thinking about what will happen when there are kids involved. So here are my top 5 tips for getting through Christmas when it comes to families.

1. Try and plan ahead with others where you can

Trying to juggle 2 sides of family and in-laws can be a little tricky, especially if there are divorced parents involved. Forward planning is key for me. I am already sorting out with my Mum and Ali’s Mum the plans for the day so we can sort things. You don’t need last minute stress.

2. Don’t forget to make time for yourself too!

It’s really easy when you’re trying to keep everyone happy to forget about yourself and your significant other. I’m definitely planning to carve out some time for myself over the holidays – it will probably be spent reading and sleeping but I’m absolutely fine with that.

3. Avoid topics that you know people don‘t agree on *cough* Brexit *cough*

This one. Oh, this one. I find it incredibly hard to do this so I know it’s easier said than done but the less arguments the better. Sometimes it’s better to mentally switch off when these kinds of topics come up…

4. Spread out your visits if you can

Seeing every member of your family on Christmas day isn’t always feasible so if you can why not spread it out? Growing up I would sometimes see one side of my family on Christmas Eve and the other on Christmas Day. When I met Ali I’d add his family to that too.

5. Remember it’s only 1 day…hopefully!

And breathe! It’s going to be ok!

What are your tips?