Ways to avoid discussing politics during Thanksgiving

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Politics, a major topic of conversation this year especially at the dinner table.

With Thanksgiving just a few days, some people are worried different opinions may cause some serious tension between family members. Including Representative Susi Hamilton, her mother almost cancelled the holiday dinner over this topic.

“We have a very large family, a family of diverse beliefs and political points of view. But we think we’ve talked her into at least having hamburgers or something. And promising not to talk about politics,” Hamilton said.

With the recent election, many families have different opinions about the President-Elect. So when it comes to avoiding heated conversations, Licensed Therapist Page Rutledge has a few options for you and your family.

“You have several choices. You can ignore it, you can change the topic, you can put a fork of mash potatoes in your mouth, you can also ask for what you need in the moment of the person. And that really means being genuinely curious with them,” Rutledge said.

Rutledge also suggests to avoid using sarcasm during Thanksgiving, if you feel threatened during a conversation she says you should voice your concerns and try not to feed into relatives who are intentionally trying to get a reaction out of you.

Another piece of advice, set a time frame. Rutledge says to decide how long you want to stay at the family function ahead of time, whether that is an hour or two hours, and stick with it.