Whether it’s a graduation party, a birthday, an anniversary, a holiday, or a reunion, you’ll attend at least one family gathering every year. Sometimes you look forward to them; sometimes you dread them. There will be people you’re eager to see, as well as those whom you’ve gone out of your way to avoid. Once these occasions are over, they all seem to melt into a blur of relatives, food, drink, kids, picnic tables, fireworks, music, and games, with mostly just the good times remaining in your memory. When they’re lying ahead, however, you usually approach them with a bit of trepidation.

You’re not alone. Everybody experiences some sort of apprehension at the thought of a family get-together. Sometimes, it’s because of the uncle who always goes overboard with the alcohol and the off-color jokes – not necessarily in that order. Or, it may be the aunt who’s always bragging about her perfect kids, her high-paying job, her fancy house, and her new car – and not necessarily in that order! It also seems that each family is assigned a cousin who excels at everything, and you just can’t stand the thought of hearing about one more award or promotion, especially after you just got “down-sized” out of your job.

Then, there’s the really scary problem that every family faces at these affairs – the seating arrangements for the kids! After all, one of the things that you were looking forward to was having adult conversation at the table. Of course, it’s normal to relegate the kids to a separate table, but they rarely go quietly, especially when it’s a flimsy card table with a folding chair, a stool, and a piano bench around it. Beyond the hassle of setting it up, there’s the inevitable argument about who’s going to get stuck sitting at it.

(more…)