Family reunions are supposed to be fun, happy times in which far-flung family members gather to celebrate their connections with each other. Unfortunately, some people at the reunion might hold grudges or might lack the manners needed to socialize with others. They're still family, though. If you are the organizer of this year's reunion, how do you smooth ruffled feathers before anyone spoils the party?
Monitor the guest list. If you know that Aunt Gloria and Uncle Serge haven't gotten along since the Reagan administration, then you might want to warn them if they both RSVP that they may encounter their sworn enemy. That way, you have given each one of them a chance to prepare.
Keep people busy. Set up multiple committees to organize the reunion, and make sure that those who tend to fight are in charge of different tasks. For example, Uncle Serge can be in charge of the grill while Aunt Gloria is safely away handing out T-shirts.
Hand out nametags. You might be family, but that doesn't mean you will recognize each other, especially if it has been a while. Making nametags means no one will be miffed if another cousin doesn't recognize him.
Let people handle problems within their family units. A family reunion will encompass many different families, and they all have different ways of tackling situations. If Cousin Phil has a child who tends to throw temper tantrums, it is not your job to hush Cousin Phil's child, nor is it your job to yell at Cousin Phil for not hushing his child.
Hire a babysitter. To prevent Cousin Phil's child from launching into another scorcher of a tantrum, hire a babysitter, preferably one from outside the family so she can care for the children and let the adults catch up. This will let the kids get to know each other, and the adults won't need to worry. Also get a babysitter who is old enough and wise enough to brush off any attempts to flirt from Uncle Serge, Cousin Phil or anyone else.
Hire bartenders. A bartender is like a babysitter for adults. If you plan to serve alcohol at the reunion, hire bartenders who are willing to cut off the relatives who get out of hand. When Aunt Gloria stumbles up for a fifth gin and tonic and is denied, she will take it more seriously if the "no" comes from a third party, not from you. Some people tend to let their guard down around family members, but they will work hard to behave themselves in front of outsiders.
Expect the best. At a family reunion, enough people will be on hand that, if you don't like or approve of one relative, you can talk to another. Since the entire family doesn't get together that often, people will be on their best behavior and will try to get along.
 | Bringing together all your family members and keeping them entertained can be exhausting, but these family reunion ideas will help create an event to remember. |
 | If your family reunion is going to have a rather large guest list, as many do, planning a family reunion is going to be too much work for one person to handle alone. Plan to enlist the help of your willing family members, and recruit those who are semi-willing. We'll even show you how to convert semi-willing into enthusiastic assistants. |
 | A family reunion can be easier to organize if you have a theme. Here are some ideas to show you how a theme can be helpful. |
A family reunion speech generally ends in tears, in the best way possible. |
If you're wondering how to plan a family reunion, relax. After all, this is family and when you're around family, life shouldn't be stressful. |
