And so it begins. The holiday season is officially upon us, and the first major holiday post-election is here.
This election has been, let’s say, more sensitive than past elections. Needless to say there may be some family members, who are notoriously known for their strong political beliefs, who will attempt to bring up politics in the various conversations.
But Thanksgiving is not the time to try and change Uncle Ben or Aunt Sue’s opinion.
So, how does one survive the first big family holiday post-election?
Stay out of political conversation
One way to help avoid any punches thrown is to stay out of heavy political conversation, especially if you’re just as passionate as the person you’d face off with.
One of the best ways to avoid any confrontation or all out scream matches is to politely excuse yourself from the conversation once it begins to head south.
Have an exit strategy for when conversations turn political
We all have that one relative who likes to throw curve balls. One minute you’re both talking about the Cub’s World Series win, and the next minute you’re quickly blindsided with, “So how about that Trump win?”
Should this happen, have a prepared exit strategy. Something like, “How about that, I have to help remove the turkey out of the oven, excuse me.”
Pre-plan a topic to help divert conversation from becoming Trump themed
If you’re chatting with a group of people and you can sniff out the conversation is about to segue into politics, you can help save the day with a pre-planned topic to swoop in with and help divert conversation.
Although it may not seem like it, there are some happy news stories circulating. Bring up how great it is that a woman is paying for all pet adoptions from a Sacramento shelter, with the hope all the animals are in homes by Christmas.
Or how excited everyone is for Game of Thrones season 7, even if it is still 6 months away.
Make a joke out of no-go topics
If your family has a great sense of humor, make a funny out of the situation and place a sign at the door that lists all topics of conversation that must be avoided.
Making a joke out of the situation is a fun way to diffuse a situation 
early on.
The best part is people will know that although it may be funny, the sign is very much meant to be taken seriously.
Thanksgiving is a time to enjoy family and friends so avoid talking about hot topics or engaging in them.
Religion and politics have notoriously been trigger points for people, and now more than ever, these topics should be avoided if the people engaging in the conversation are known for being hot tempered or not sensitive.
