The in-laws. Because we’re getting close to the holiday season, you’ll be hanging out with them and there’s nothing you can do to avoid them.

But, according to family therapists, there are a few things that you can focus on to ease the pain of the holidays with your in-laws:

Negotiate Where to Celebrate: Maybe travel to the in-laws for Thanksgiving and stay home for Christmas.
 
Travel at Off-Peak Times: If you do have to fly to see the in-laws, try not to fly on the day before Thanksgiving . . . when the entire country is also at the airport. By planning your traveling a little better, you’ll arrive rested and ready to do battle with less tension.
 
Less is More: Set up the number of days you think you can all tolerate being under the same roof and subtract one.
 
Set House Rules: Be assertive. You are an adult now and should be treated as such. If something is going on that you really are uncomfortable with, then remain firm in your rules.
 
Choose Your Battles: Decide what matters. When it comes to health, safety and basic family values, then you really need to hold your ground. However, you can't say no to everything they want to do, so you have to let some things go and bite your tongue. This crazy time only comes around once a year.