Get Together Etiquette
My husband’s extended family is 60 members strong. The family consists of his two parents, twelve siblings, 11 in laws, 31 grand kids and 3 babies “in utero.” We congregate more than the average family, for holidays birthdays, baptisms and any other excuse we can think of to deem a get together necessary. The family consists of many different ethnicities, ages and life styles. How does such a large, diverse group of people manage to get along well enough to enjoy frequent get togethers? Simple. We follow a set of unspoken rules of etiquette. Here they are:
- If you don’t have anything nice to say…keep your mouth shut.
- Do not get your panties in a wad if someone has to discipline your child. It takes a village and unless there is physical contact made by the adult, it is okay to step in when necessary.
- Do not dominate the conversation. Every one has an opinion and deserves the chance to voice said opinion.
- Do not interrupt the brothers if they get into a brawl. The ten boys grew up together, seven sharing a bedroom at one point. They have the right to squabble and will be hugging ten minutes from now.
- You helped make the mess, you help clean it up when the night is over.
- Everyone brings food and drink.
- Everyone shares their food and drink.
- If you smell a poop diaper…notify the parent before the smell permeates the whole house. This is just common courtesy.
- If you do not care for the company of one particular person, excuse yourself kindly, to another room. There are 59 other people at the get together. Surely you can find one person with whom you prefer to converse, even if it is a two year old nephew.
- Do not drink yourself into an oblivion, if alcohol is served. You will end up looking like a jack ass and offending a lot of people. Then you’ll have to apologize to those people after you are once again sober. Moderation is key!
These rules apply to all sizes of families and all occasions. Since the Prescotts will be getting together for St. Patrick’s Day dinner, everyone will remember these rules and try their darndest to adhere to them. After all, mama Jackie is working hard to prepare 14 corned beef roasts, fifteen pounds of potatoes and fourteen cabbages. We can at least show our gratitude by behaving ourselves and making the celebration a pleasant one!
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6 opinions for Get Together Etiquette
jessica
Mar 17, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Wow. That is a lot of people. My introvert self would surely crawl up into a ball and die at a function like that!
Marye
Mar 17, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Amen. We have 8 kids so I think I will print this out and save it for the future.
Ashley
Mar 18, 2008 at 7:47 am
I was raised as an only child - Although I can’t imagine a family that big, I’ll bet it’s a blast for your children..They probably have a very strong sense of pride in who they are.
PreSchool Mama
Mar 18, 2008 at 1:53 pm
We have family gatherings like that almost every other month! Comes with marrying a man who’s one among seven. There’s a lot to be said for that kind of large family closeness.
Lin
Mar 18, 2008 at 9:03 pm
Great list! Unfortunately, number one on your list even became an issue at my father in-law’s wake this evening, and will likely occur again at tomorrow’s service. Argh!
Top 10 List of Favorite Links | Telling It Like It Is
Mar 26, 2008 at 3:38 am
[…] Get Together Etiquette offers ten rules of etiquette when having gatherings in your home, and how everyone should and should not behave. I bet you’ll find some of these listed to be true in your own families as well, I know I did. […]
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