12 Ways to Steer the Conversation So Everyone Is Happy on Thanksgiving

Being around family can be challenging, especially during the holidays. There is no group of people who can get us more instantly unnerved than family. You could invest half your life’s savings into therapy — good therapy, effective therapy — and, within five minutes you find you’re regressing under the stress of the same old enmeshed, craziness in your family that never changes. Before you head over the river and through the woods, give some thought to the following strategies to help you steer conversations towards the positive this Thanksgiving.

1. Be a listener.