A family get-together should always be fun, but the wrong combination of a bad situation and the resulting stress can place a damper upon your celebration. Keeping an eye out for things around your home that can ruin your gathering, as well as other possible stressful situations will help keep everyone at your gathering happy.
Running Out of Food or Drinks
Even the most carefully-planned gathering can sour quite quickly without enough food or beverages. At a large enough gathering where it’s known that food will be involved, you’re likely to find that someone who would bring along an additional guest or two. Keep enough finger foods out to accommodate kids who might snack throughout most of the gathering, and make sure you have enough non-alcoholic beverages for those under 18 and abstainers.
Guests Misplacing Jackets or Other Items
At any gathering, something is likely to be misplaced, whether it’s a jacket or something small like a phone. The key to preventing these types of situations is having places to put jackets, boots or purses where they are accessible to guests. Consider making part of a closet available, and point out places where guests can leave their phones to charge where they stay within easy sight the entire time.
Toilet or Sink Stoppages
There is nothing more frustrating than having to call an emergency plumber when everyone seems ready to eat or otherwise enjoy the gathering. When a toilet or sink stops up, it is unsanitary and also enough of a serious inconvenience to warrant getting a plumber to come out on an emergency call. Everyone will be able to better enjoy themselves when they don’t have to go in search of a public toilet during your get-together.
Technical Issues
Many people enjoy using current technology to enjoy their favourite music or films while gathering with family. However, all sorts of things can interfere with these activities from poor Internet connectivity to devices that will not connect with each other as intended. You can help prevent this from becoming an issue by doing a dry run of your media equipment ahead of time.
Leaking Pipes
Nobody wants to cope with leaking pipes, but they often become an issue at the most inopportune times. It doesn’t take long for leaking water to penetrate walls and floors, possibly causing damage that is costly and ruining your gathering in the process. This is a situation that could require an emergency call to a plumber very easily.
Malfunctioning Appliances
A tasty meal is an important feature of many a gathering, and an oven that won’t heat up or a fridge that goes out can put a damper on your plans quite quickly. One way to avoid this situation is to cook everything ahead of time, so that you can heat everything using a microwave, and have beverage coolers with ice on hand, if needed. You may also want to consider putting out foods that require no cooking or refrigeration that some of your guests may wish to take home.
Although disasters that can ruin your gathering are likely very rare, being prepared for them will help make things far easier should these situations arise. Knowing that the right professionals you need are readily available will make things easier when things go south. Getting the help that you need straight away when something goes wrong may make all the difference between success and failure for having an enjoyable family gathering.