Hosting Your First Thanksgiving Without All the Stress

Thanksgiving dinner is one of the most celebrated and looked forward to holidays in America- unless you are in charge of preparing this years dinner that is. Anyone who has been in charge of preparing a meal that size for a group of people knows that it can turn a fun, relaxing holiday into a hair-pulling, stress-filled dinner. Luckily, there are a lot of techniques to help even the rookies of Thanksgiving prepare a delicious meal, host an awesome party, and actually have fun at the same time. 

1. Remember that even your grandma hosted her first thanksgiving once

Don't put too much pressure on yourself to make sure every single thing is absolutely perfect- it won't be. But that's okay. There is no sense stressing yourself out because your turkey doesn't look exactly like Aunt Betty's or Grandma's, they have had a lot of years of practice to get it that way. 

2. Since you're the host, you get to call the shots

As much of a burden of responsibility it may initially seem, it is also kind of a relief. A relief because this year, you get to set the pace and tone of how you want Thanksgiving to be. Do you want it to be fancy? Have people dress up. Rather keep it casual? That's fine too. You can decide what time you want people to show up and how many should come. You can decide if you'd rather leave out the cherry pie this year and replace it with chocolate. Getting to make these kinds of decisions can actually be kind of fun if you let it!

3. Don't forget the message of Thanksgiving

Even through all the stress, remember that Thanksgiving is supposed to be a time for everyone to relax and spend time together (and pig out), and just because you're hosting it doesn't mean you are an exception! So don't let the little things bother you and freak out if everything doesn't t go perfectly. Relax! Even if the pie burns or Uncle Frank drinks too much again.

4. Accept help

Understand that this is your first time hosting such an important holiday dinner and it's going to be a lot to handle. So when people come into the kitchen and are asking you if you need any help, don't be afraid to say yes! 

5. Do everything in advance

The key ingredient to having a stress-free Thanksgiving dinner party is not to save anything for the last minute. If you start planning really far in advance and have a set schedule of when things need to be done by, this will take a huge weight off your shoulders and help things to go along smoothly. Have menu planned and grocery shopping completed by the weekend before- by Wednesday every super market will be a war zone that you want to avoid at all costs. The day before Thanksgiving, prepare are much of the food as you can, set the table and any decorations you wish to have, and decide on your outfit. 

On Thanksgiving day, figure out what time you need to roast the turkey, boil the potatoes, and lay out any appetizers or snacks. Make sure you empty the dishwasher before the party starts. Don't forget to squeeze a shower at some point between all of that and you're all set to host your first Thanksgiving dinner!


To learn more about Modern Moms and The Mom Code, please visit ONCEKids Publishing website, Facebook and Twitter