How to Answer Awkward Questions from Your Family on Thanksgiving

How to Answer Awkward Questions from Your Family on Thanksgiving At last! That much needed Thanksgiving vacation is just around the corner. This means your moms home-cooked meals, seeing all your family and †¦ answering those annoying questions your relatives love to ask. Dont be surprised that your family will ask highly personal questions about your relationship, college life and future plans. â€Å"When are you getting married?† â€Å"How are your grades?† â€Å"How is the weight loss going?† And thats just the beginning Your grandparents, aunts and uncles will ask about sensitive topics and you should be prepared to answer politely, in a humorous or even a bit sarcastic way. After all, this is a holiday and you dont want to fight with your family. Here is some advice on how to cope with awkward questions youre going to face. 1. Are You Dating Anyone? Almost everyone around the table will want to hear the answer. Your relatives are worried that you might be lonely, they think that it is not OK if a young person like you isnt in a relationship. Remember, you shouldn’t be embarrassed either youre single or just dont want to tell your family about a new boyfriend/girlfriend to avoid further questioning. Answer #1: â€Å"Im focused on my classes and getting a great job after graduation, so I dont have time for dating.† This diplomatic response will persuade your family that you are serious about your education. Answer #2: â€Å"Im dating several people right now, just cant decide who I like more.† Some humor will defuse a situation. 2. When Will You Start a Family? Marriage? Kids? If this is not in your upcoming plans, better prepare a nice answer. Your parents look forward to organizing â€Å"a wedding of the year† and having grandchildren in the near future. Try not to upset them. Answer #1: â€Å"Im not sure that Im ready to take on a responsibility of having a family.† It may lead to a lecture about how a great person you are and that you can cope with all the duties. Answer #2: â€Å"Family? Are you kidding me? Im a child myself.† It may cause some shock, but your relatives wont ask about your personal life anymore. Answer #3: â€Å"We are thinking about it right now. Ill tell you more details later.† This answer will give some hope to your family, and probably they wont ask about it till the next Thanksgiving. 3. What Do You Plan to Do After Graduation? It is absolutely normal if you havent decided what you are going to do after college, and it is not necessary to tell your family about that. However, if you want to hear a piece of advice, just ask. No doubt, your relatives want to teach you how to live. Answer #1: â€Å"Im going to †¦ (tell about your real plans).† Answer #2: â€Å"Im considering a few options: volunteer in a Buddhist Monastery in Nepal, catch fish in Alaska or (insert other crazy options). Which one do you like better?† 4. When Can We Come Visit You? Never! Never! Never! Surely, you dont want your parents to talk your my roommates or listen to what you should change in your apartments. Answer #1: â€Å"Let me think about it. I have a very busy schedule. Ill tell you when I have some free time.† And then you can always tell your parents how busy you are at college. Answer #2: â€Å"Visit me? Why? No, Ill come home more often.† 5. Why Dont You Eat Meat? Oh, again Because Im a vegetarian!.. Even if youve told your family that you dont eat meat for a hundred times, someone will ask you why youre refusing from that delicious turkey. Answer #1: â€Å"It is a personal choice and I hope that you can understand and support it.† It sounds like the answer of a grown-up, so your parents may be proud of you. Answer #2: â€Å"I dont eat tortured animals. Oh, let me show you one video and I suppose you also wont eat meat.† But be careful, your relatives might hate you after that. Meeting with relatives is fun until they start asking those awkward questions. However, with most families, it is inevitable. Just be prepared to hear these annoying questions and add some humor to your answers – it always saves the situation!

The Magic Tree House Book Series by Mary Pope Osborne

The Magic Tree House Book Series by Mary Pope Osborne The Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne has been popular since the first MTH book for young independent readers, Dinosaurs Before Dark, was published in 1992. By August 2012, there were 48 books in the series for independent readers, 6 to 10 or 11 years old, as well as 26 companion research guides (Magic Tree House Fact Tracker nonfiction books) for some of the books in the series. The Adventures of Jack and Annie All of the books in the series center around the time travel adventures of brother and sister Jack and Annie, who live in Frog Creek, Pennsylvania. The two discover a magic tree house in the woods by their house. In books #1 to 28, Jack is 8 years old and Annie is a year younger. Thanks to the book-filled magic tree house whose books have magical properties and whose owner, magical librarian Morgan le Fay provides them with exciting missions, the two have many exciting adventures. Each book focuses on a subject and story designed to pique the interest of young independent readers. The subjects and time periods vary widely, which means that there will most likely be some, or many, of particular interest to your child. The Basics Magic Tree House books #1 to 28 are generally between 65 and 75 pages long and target children 6 to 9. The reading levels are mostly between 2.0 and 2.4. The books are divided into brief chapters, each of which has one or more intriguing illustrations by Sal Murdocca, the illustrator for all of the MTH books. Teachers and parents looking for specific information about a variety of reading level measures for the books, as well as curriculum connections and lessons plans, will find Mary Pope Osbornes Magic Tree House Classroom Adventures Program site a valuable resource. Your children will enjoy the games, activities and fun, all related to books in the series and the subjects they cover, at the Random House Magic Tree House site. While you may want to have your child start with the first book in the series, which introduces Jack and Annie and enables your child to experience time travel via the Magic Tree House for the first time right along with Jack and Annie, its not necessary to read the books in a particular order. A prologue at the beginning of each book provides the necessary background information. However, to provide incentive for kids to keep reading, there is an overarching mission for each four books, but it is still not necessary to read even each of those books in a particular order. To give you an idea of a mission, in books #9 to 12, Jack and Annie have to solve four ancient riddles, one in each of the books, but since each of the books can be read independently, it will be up to young readers (or their teachers) to decide whether or not to read the books in groups of four. The books are available in paperback, library binding, and as audiobooks and eBooks. A full set of books #1 to 28 in the Magic Tree series is also available in paperback. Individual books are also available, as are books in sets of four. Benefits of a Good Series for Young Independent Readers In order for children to learn to be fluent readers, with good comprehension skills, they need to read a lot. When children are relatively new readers, they need to concentrate on decoding each word and comprehending what they are reading without a lot of distractions. It helps if they can find a series they like at a reading level they can comfortably read. Why? Every time they start a new book in the series, they dont have to get used to new main characters, a new story format, a different style of writing or anything else that would distract them from just enjoying the story. Its this enjoyment that will bring them back for more and more stories, which will help them become fluent readers. It also helps a lot to talk about the books with your children. Ask them to tell you about Jack and Annies latest adventure, what it was all about, and what they learned. For kids who prefer nonfiction or who want to know more about the subject of the Magic Tree House book they just read, see if there is a Magic Tree House Fact Tracker nonfiction companion research guide. Book List of Books #1 to 28 in the Magic Tree House Series Note that a CNB (for companion nonfiction book) at the end of each book listing means that there is a Magic Tree House Fact Tracker for that book. Dinosaurs Before Dark, Magic Tree House, Book #1 - CNBThe Knight at Dawn, Magic Tree House, Book Book #2 - CNBMummies in the Morning, Magic Tree House, Book Book #3 - CNBPirates past Noon, Magic Tree House, Book Book #4 - CNBNight of the Ninjas, Magic Tree House, Book #5Afternoon on the Amazon, Magic Tree House, Book #6 - CNBSunset of the Sabertooth, Magic Tree House, Book #7 - CNBMidnight on the Moon, Magic Tree House, Book #8 - CNBDolphins at Daybreak, Magic Tree House, Book #9 - CNBGhost Town at Sundown, Magic Tree House, Book #10Lions at Lunchtime, Magic Tree House, Book #11Polar Bears Past Bedtime, Magic Tree House, Book #12 - CNBVacation Under The Volcano, Magic Tree House, Book #13 - CNBDay of the Dragon King, Magic Tree House, Book #14Viking Ships at Sunrise, Magic Tree House, Book #15Hour of the Olympics, Magic Tree House, Book #16 - CNBTonight on the Titanic, Magic Tree House, Book #17 - CNBBuffalo Before Breakfast, Magic Tree House, Book #18Tigers at Twilight, Magic Tree H ouse, Book #19 Dingoes at Dinnertime, Magic Tree House, Book #20Civil War on Sunday, Magic Tree House, Book #21Revolutionary War on Wednesday, Magic Tree House, Book #22 - CNBTwister on Tuesday, Magic Tree House, Book #23 - CNBEarthquake in the Early Morning, Magic Tree House, Book #24Stage Fright on a Summer Night, Magic Tree House, Book #25Good Morning, Gorillas, Magic Tree House, Book #26Thanksgiving on Thursday, Magic Tree House Book #27 - CNBHigh Tide in Hawaii, Magic Tree House, Book #28 - CNB