Families are coming together for Thanksgiving and that means sitting down for a feast of turkey, stuffing and controversial conversation.
2023 has been filled with a long list of sensitive subjects that could come up, whether it’s deadly conflicts abroad or political turmoil here at home.
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Etiquette coach Jodi Smith says there are some ways to ensure civil conversation wins the day.
“The first thing I want people to remember is to think ahead of time,” said Smith, “Who is going to be there and what do I want to talk about? Have some conversation prepared in advance.”
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When that doesn’t work, Smith encourages dinner guests to pivot the conversation.
“The pivot that I like is, you know what, that’s a really interesting question but you know what I find fascinating?” said Smith, “So the pivot away acknowledges what they said and then pivots to something else.”
At South Station in Boston, we spoke with travelers headed to Thanksgiving gatherings. They shared their strategies for taboo topics at the dinner table.
“I try to just change the topic or just ignore it,” said Boston resident, Grace Turnipseed.
“I like to tackle them head-on, I think communication is key to everything, especially with family,” said Boston resident, Matthew Marcil.
According to Smith, another useful tactic is to limit your time at the dinner party and be intentional with who you choose to sit next to at the table.
