I know firsthand how frustrating it is to have your grandparents or parents patronize you because you are using your phone. Sometimes family time can get boring, and Twitter always seems to have something interesting going on.
It took me moving away from home to understand why it is so important to put the cellphone down and drink in all the organized chaos that is in family gatherings. In ten years, we are going to remember how much we loved going to our grandparents houses for holidays, and we will not remember that awesome new turkey filter on Snapchat. I love turkey filters as much as the next girl, but I love quality time with my 15-year-old brother even more. I also love Vines more than I love a lot of things, but I love watching football with my Dad even more than that.
Being away from college has taught me a lot about myself, but it has taught me even more about people back home, strange as that sounds. It has taught me to appreciate my parents for all the little things that used to annoy me. Whenever my parents frustrate me, I try to put myself in their shoes. Someday, when I am a parent, it is going to be so tough for me to let my child go and move to a different state for school. The bonding and quality time that these holidays allow for should be just as important to you, the student, as it to your parents.
I am not going to type this and make it sound like I have always been super excited about family time. I am all too familiar with the awkward interactions involving the questions about boys, the “why aren’t you eating that”, the “be nice to your brother” remarks. They are rough, and when they occur, all you want to do is retreat to your room, check your Tumblr, make a new Pinterest board, text your friends, and of course sleep.
I encourage you to resist these urges. Flip the phone over and make eye contact with your parents when you are speaking to them. Even if it isn’t particularly enjoyable at first, you miss that interaction when you are away like me.
Also, if the conversation gets into that horribly awkward “why don’t you have a boyfriend?” zone, here are some other fun questions you could use as conversation starters for the dinner table.
“What is the last good book you read?”
This is especially fun to ask your grandparents!
“What is one thing you appreciate about the person sitting to your left?”
This is simple enough and enjoyable for all.
“What are you most excited for in 2016?”
I like this one because whether you are talking to your mom or your freshman brother, the responses are typically fun and interesting.
“What is your favorite holiday movie?”
Talking about this one can lead to fun family movie time, which I am personally always up for.
“If you could time travel, what decade would you visit?”
An overall fun question, particularily because it usually yields fun stories from grandparents.
And of course… the classic,
“What are you thankful for?”
It stings a little because it is so cliché, but it only comes once a year so suck it up and answer the question!
Overall, I hope you enjoy your holiday and enjoy your company.
Be safe and be appreciative.
