Use Holiday Cheer to Reconnect With Family Over Break

Focus on the wrapping and she'll forget to ask about those exams...

The most contact you’ve had with your family over the last four months is the weekly phone call where you tell them your grades are fine, you’re eating well, you need some money and you miss them too.

By Brianna

So now that you’re home for about three weeks, it can be a little hard to get back into the swing of waking up to a “good morning honey!” every day. Especially when that comes before 9 a.m.

All of us have that inner freakout moment when our parents tell us to do the dishes or take out the trash, or when we let a profanity slip the scolding makes us want to rip our hair out. “I live on my own over half the year! How can I be grounded?!”

But no matter how much of an adjustment it is, we’re all happy to be back home, eating mom’s cooking, sleeping in our own beds and, yes, spending a little quality time with the family.

Everyone’s family is different; some of us are super close, others not so much. Either way, we can all avoid awkward conversations about our drunken Facebook photos by getting the whole family involved in some holiday activities. With this being my fourth (and final…yes, I’m freaking out) winter break at home, I’ve developed a handful of traditions that are perfect for reconnecting and spending quality time with your family, without the awkward, “Have you gotten your grades yet?” conversation.

Gingerbread Houses
It sounds juvenile, but once you start you will totally be into it. You can get the kit for relatively cheap (although you’re with your parents now, so price tags don’t matter as much as they do to your ramen-eating-student self). Everyone will be so involved in decorating that the conversation will remain lighthearted, allowing you to beat around topics like grades, partying and that violation notice that arrived in the mail a couple of weeks back…

Wrapping presents
You have to do it anyway, so why not include your brother or sister in the mix and get some quality sibling time in while you’re at it? You can catch up on your lives in the past couple of months, share some eggnog and finish all your gift-wrapping. Done, done and done.

Last Minute Shopping
There’s no doubt your mom has last minute gifts to buy; she’s always leaving weird Aunt Ida and Uncle Bob for the end. You may want to be as far away from the mall as possible (it’s a madhouse of women fighting over toys and parking spots), but suck it up and help your mom out. It will mean a lot to her and give you some one-on-one time, plus she’ll be so happy you came she might pick up that purse your ogling in Nordstrom’s for an extra Christmas gift…

Holiday Specials
They are super corny, super cheesy, but, admit it, they are super fun. You can only watch them once a year and your parents couldn’t get enough of them. So sacrifice a couple of hours and watch a few of those retro cartoons; your parents will be happy you spent some “quality time” with them and won’t mind as much later when you roll in from your friend’s house at 3 am.

College Football
Missing campus? Home is bound to feel boring without your weekly pong tournaments and seven-hour tailgates. You can bring a little slice of college life home with you by tuning into the annual college bowl games that play throughout the holidays. Chances are your dad and brothers will already be watching so you’ll also be racking up the bonding time while you’re at it. Plus, it’s the perfect opportunity to crack a brewski without your dad lecturing you on underage binge drinking.

Got any other ideas to get through break with the fam?