In 2015, Saturday Night Live aired a skit that would have been hilarious if it didn’t contain quite so much truth. The skit, “A Thanksgiving Miracle,” shows how one family was able to avoid uncomfortable Thanksgiving dinner conversations with the help of everybody’s favorite singer, Adele.
Every family has its off-topic subjects. If you are hosting Thanksgiving, you need to intervene. Because if you don’t, you can be sure that Uncle Jim is going to bring one of those off-limit topics up. Call me controlling. But I want to make sure everybody has a good time at dinner and has something to talk about. I can help you keep a lid on Grandad’s politics and Cousin Gerta’s religion.
Keep the savory in the turkey but the unsavory out of your table talk with my free printable Thanksgiving Conversation Cards.
Print these on some card stock. Cut them out. And place one under each guest’s plate. After your dad carves the turkey, get the ball rolling by answering your own question first.
I can assure you that these worked like a charm during my Thanksgiving feast last year. My dad had to tell what he appreciated most about the person sitting on right. That person just happened to be my husband. That. Was. Awesome.
Then my mom made us laugh hysterically. Her card asked her to describe her ideal evening. For my mom, this included John Denver in a mountainside cabin with a fire in the fireplace and the snow softly falling. (Um, she had clearly thought that one through before.)
And my sweet Grandma Sandy revealed that there was nowhere in time or space she would rather be than right there with all of us right at that moment.
Make your own happy, non-confrontational memories this year with some great Thanksgiving conversation.
Print them out here: Thanksgiving Conversation Cards
Originally published November 2016.
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I’m so grateful for these conversation cards! I was kind of dreading thanksgiving this year, we have some blended family members and people from my church coming and not everyone knows everyone else so conversation was going to be painful. This is definitely a great way to break the ice! THANK YOU!
Awesome, Krysta. I’m so glad they’re helpful! Have a fantastic Thanksgiving!