Within a week, your whole family is gathered for Thanksgiving. As the smell of turkey wafts around the house, your Great Aunt Edna comes in with a massive box of side dishes and her famous pumpkin pie for later. Being a youngster, you take the surprisingly heavy box from her and head for the kitchen.

Before you escape her reach, Great Aunt Edna pulls you back, and pinches your cheeks into unnatural positions, while you have to force a smile to avoid perilous punishment. Your sore, bright red cheeks make you look like a clown when you finally escape Great Aunt Edna’s wrath.

While not all of us may have our cheeks pinched, we all have that one person in the family that just stresses us out. Maybe it's an annoying cousin, or maybe it's that weird aunt that no one really talks about. The holiday season is usually the time when all of these unfavorable relatives come around. Perhaps you’re able to hide out in your room, but when you do have to interact with them, it can be hard to know what to do.

First of all, it is typically easy to make conversation with these individuals. One thing you could talk about is school. Although it may be a little boring, this method could provide you with an hour or more of discussion if you play your cards right. Tell them what your favorite class is and what you like so much about it. Explain to them what kind of projects you’re doing.

Bear in mind that even if these topics seem boring, the person you are talking to could be interested. This way, you can entertain them until someone relieves you of duty. If they are younger than you, then they may get bored and just ignore you altogether. If they’re older, they may go off on a tangent of their own, during which you may be able to slip away if other people are listening as well.

If you don’t want to talk about school, you can use a topic that interests you, such as current events. When using this method, you should always be respectful and kind, even if you don’t want to be around them.

If you run out of things to say about school, it may possible to hide out in the kitchen if the family member is not the chef. Make yourself busy; ask whoever is cooking the large meals what you can help out with. Chopping carrots, stuffing the turkey, mashing potatoes, or just looking busy will help you to avoid the person who gets under your skin.

Not only does this method throw a life raft to those who are preparing the family meals, it is also a great way to not be around that pesky family member. Seeing your family enjoying what you made afterwards can be rewarding as well.

Sometimes, however, that person is just everywhere, including the kitchen. Or maybe if you cook, the food is liable to posion all who dare to eat it. Either way, if you don’t know what to say to your family member, finding a buffer, or someone who will drive the conversation instead of you, can also work wonders.

Sit beside your favorite cousin or a parent and let them do the talking. Sometimes they will talk about things you have no idea about, in which case you can either space out or slip out, whichever suits the situation. Using a buffer allows you to chime in when you have something to say, but you can stay out of the main conversation. The buffer method is effective if you have a larger gathering and you can’t avoid the family member you would rather not see.

Even though it’s hard sometimes to deal with the family members you don’t like, just remember to be polite and respectful, especially if they are older than you. Sometimes if you strike up a conversation about something that you’re really interested in, you may actually enjoy your time together. Who knows, maybe Great Aunt Edna will be your best pal after the holiday season ends.