The holidays is a time of joy, love, and… Family. Yes, that dreadful word. The time where family comes to visit and stay for a month with no good reason is coming up soon.

They are tough to deal with, I understand. That constant nagging, kids running around and crying, the judgemental stares. It happens to all of us.

Luckily, I have some tips to help you get over the fear of family.

One, vacations. Plan something with a friend conveniently when your family just so happens to be in town. Plan ahead of time; the earlier the better. Make your parents feel bad if they try to get you to cancel. It should not be acceptable to be stuck at home when you were offered to go to that new ski resort.

Two, headphones are your friend. Walk around with headphones on whenever you are around them, even if they are not plugged into anything. Just fake that you cannot hear them, and keep walking. Whatever they need probably is not as important as Netflix.

Three, band together your siblings. Two, is better than one. Convince your siblings to never leave your side when family is around. If you have to go through something, they all have to go through it too. As the great Lilo from Lilo and Stitch once said, “Ohana means family. Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten”.

And finally, number four, embrace it. The more time you spend mad or annoyed, the more likely your holiday will be a bad time. You are out of school for two weeks. Use it to your advantage, and work on building your relationships with family. Being close with them is a great feeling.

Family will always stick together and have each other’s back through thick and thin. Spending a little more time with them will not kill you. By the way, how else are you going to get awesome gifts and money during the holiday season?