Who can forget last year when your child opened up a gift, announced he already had one, threw it aside, then said the game his cousin got was stupid? Everyone sat in awkward silence while you tried to prompt manners. It wasn’t fun. Rather than silently hope for a miracle, try these simple steps so you can let go of the anxiety and focus on giving your brother mean looks for buying your child a drum set.

Navigating family holiday gatherings can be tricky. For parents of children with high functioning autism (HFA), not only do you have to navigate your own social norms, but you’re also constantly on the lookout for social distressers for your child. This results in you, the parent, running interference and feeling pressure to “right the ship”, which is exhausting and stressful.

Are you dreading all the inevitable fights your child will have with cousins during the holiday parties upsetting parents and resulting in you feeling like you need to fix it? By putting a few simple steps into action, you can stop waiting for the blow-ups to occur, and instead relax and enjoy small talk about your favorite holiday dessert.

Don’t let Aunt Betsy’s stuffing wreck your holiday season. Take five simple steps to get you and your child feeling more confident about eating unknown foods with unfamiliar people.