9 Things You Should NEVER, Ever Discuss During Thanksgiving

Giving someone parenting advice 

One of the most common mistakes that people make when gathering together to celebrate Thanksgiving is to talk about parenting and giving advice like experts. First of all, it’s very important to understand that no one is an absolute expert in parenting and what’s the best method in raising children, not even those who attend a college in the field. People raise their children how they can and do their best to provide them the education that they need. 

In fact, we have different personalities and what I consider is good for my kids, may not be the same for you. We have different perspectives on life, education, religion, politics and so on. So, try to avoid criticizing other people’s behavior and how they raise their children, especially when you are at a Thanksgiving dinner. 

According to Evie Granville and Sarah Davis, parenting etiquette experts and podcasters, topics such as how to raise your children properly can make people start an argument and will ruin your holiday and moods. Instead of giving parenting advice, try to focus on other things, such as choosing the right music for dinner and making people feel good. 

Don’t talk about other people’s food preferences 

Another topic that can ruin your family’s Thanksgiving gathering is talking about other people’s food preferences and making fun of their choices. For instance, you shouldn’t criticize your aunt for eating too much and she shouldn’t do so because she may gain weight. Moreover, don’t make other guests feel bad because they are vegetarians or vegans. 

Don’t act as if you are a nutritionist, doctor and food expert and you know better that it’s fine to eat certain foods, especially if you don’t know their reasons. It’s not your business how much food is on their plate or what type of food they choose to eat. You are here to enjoy the holiday with them, not to act like a nutritionist. 

In fact, some people choose to be vegetarians, vegans and so on, because they have certain allergies or are following a strict diet to treat a disease, so while you don’t know their reasons, you shouldn’t make them feel bad about their food preferences. 

Don’t give cooking advice, unless they ask you to

In general, people who give cooking advice tend to do so because they are well-intentioned, but in some cases, these observations can make your host feel bad because they will believe that you don’t like the food they worked hard to prepare.

If you don’t like the food, you can simply apologize and say that you are full or find anything else that won’t insult your host’s cooking skills. Also, if the food needs some pepper, salt, or other ingredients, you can simply ask for them and say that you like the food a little saltier or whatever you want.

According to social etiquette experts, remarks such as “I usually leave the turkey more in the oven and prefer other ingredients” or “how much butter did you use? I think it’s a little greasy” can be considered rude behaviors that will make your host feel bad.