A big family Christmas is something that many of us dream of. The idea of having grandparents around for the holidays while our kids are young can be very exciting. But any kind of big multigenerational gathering takes a bit of preparation if you want it to go well. Here are some tips to help you to prepare for a successful multigenerational Christmas at home.
Make Travel Plans
If your family lives fairly close together, you might just need to book taxis and keep an eye on the weather as the big day gets closer. But if you’ve got elderly relatives flying in from further away, you might want to consider booking help from angel medical transportation to make sure they are safe and well-cared for on the journey. If you are booking things like flights or train tickets, you should book in advance, and make sure you have backup plans in case of unexpected poor weather.
Prepare Your Guest Room
Whether your guests are traveling from further away or walking over from down the road, you won’t want to turf them out after Christmas dinner. Ideally, offer guests a comfortable and well-stocked guestroom, so that they can stay and relax over the holidays.
If you don’t have a guestroom, think about where your family will sleep, considering sofa beds, and hotels nearby if necessary.
Plan Meals in Advance
One of the biggest issues when getting lots of families together can be food. You’ll want to offer everyone something that they like, without having to spend all of your time in the kitchen cooking everyone a different meal. Meal plan for the whole period, but for big meals, like Christmas dinner, consider serving several different sides and extras and letting everyone help themselves to their favorites.
Plan Some Activities
You might think that there’ll be a lot going on with so many people around, but actually, it can be a little awkward if no one knows what they are doing. Having some structure, with planned activities like baking with the kids, watching a Christmas movie, or playing board games, can keep everyone happy.
Prepare to Get Out of the House
Lots of people in the same house can quickly become stifling. Make plans for after-dinner walks, winter scavenger hunts, and even longer family hikes to get everyone out for a while, but don’t worry if some people prefer to stay at home, it’s okay to spend some time apart.
Stock Up
Make sure you’ve got plenty of everything that you might need for a comfortable Christmas. Stock up on things like towels, blankets, cups, plates, and cutlery, but also toiletries, food, and drinks.
Check Your Seating
Think about where everyone is going to sit over the holidays. You’ll need extra dining chairs for meals, but also more comfortable seating so that everyone can relax.
Create Zones with Your Décor
You might imagine everyone sitting around on Christmas day playing games, sharing meals, and building toys. But you shouldn’t try to force everyone together. There will be times during your holidays when people will naturally split off into groups. Make this easy by offering seating options in different areas of your home.
A multigenerational Christmas can be a brilliant thing, and it might not be something that you get a chance to do that often, so make the most of it, and have a wonderful holiday.