Prepare for a holiday or family visit that usually gets tense
A plan for a family visit or holiday gathering with topics to steer clear of, calm replies, and ways to take breaks.
The prompt
Help me get through an upcoming family visit or holiday gathering that tends to be stressful.
The event: [e.g. "Thanksgiving at my in-laws", "week-long visit from my parents", "first holiday since the divorce"]
Who will be there and the usual dynamics: [e.g. "uncle starts political fights", "mom criticizes my parenting", "siblings compete"]
Topics that usually cause trouble: [TOPICS]
Who's on my side (partner, sibling): [NAMES/ROLES]
My limits: [e.g. "I can do one night, not three", "won't discuss my weight"]
What I'm looking forward to, if anything: [GOOD PARTS]
Give me:
1. Before: what to agree with my partner or ally (signals, when we'll leave, who handles which relative), and decisions to make in advance (where to stay, how long).
2. Deflection lines: 2-3 polite ways to change the subject for each trouble topic.
3. Calm replies: to criticism, unsolicited advice, and comparisons, from light to firm.
4. Breaks: natural reasons to step away (a walk, an errand, helping in the kitchen) and a short calming routine.
5. An exit plan if things escalate.
6. Protecting the good parts: small ways to enjoy the people and moments that matter.
7. After: how to decompress and what to reflect on for next time.
If any family member has been abusive or I feel unsafe, say it's OK not to attend and help me plan an alternative.
Highlighted [brackets] are blanks to replace with your own details.
Fill in the blanks and use this promptMore Personal Life & Wellbeing prompts
What to fill in
- TOPICS
- NAMES/ROLES
- GOOD PARTS
How this prompt is built
This prompt follows the Few-Shot structure (Few-shot prompting). A few-shot prompt includes one or more worked examples of the input and the output you want, so the model can copy the pattern instead of guessing it.
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