5 Ways to Improve Your Family Reunion Experience

     Many of us are quite familiar with family reunions. But if you are one of those few who don’t know what a family reunion is like, well let’s just say they aren’t the most exciting events to attend, or plan for that matter. Getting together with family, especially those so far down the family tree you don’t know them, can be a unique experience; but often times it’s something you’ll want to avoid at all costs. So for those of you who are unable to convince your owner to leave you at home, here are five ways to make your family reunion more bearable!

     1. Convince your best friend to attend with you!

     Now this can be difficult. You’re essentially asking your bestie to attend a family event, and no one likes dealing with family, no matter how much you love them. Obviously you have to account for where you’ll be travelling to. Even if there’s going to be free food, your friend might be annoyed at the prospect of taking a rickety boat to Mystery Island or flying to the Virtupets Space Station. I always make sure to mention how big a favor I’ll owe my friend for enduring my family. Bonus points if the event turns out to be better than expected; then you and your friend will have had a great week or weekend and will consider attending in the future!

     2. Make a pact with your fellow pets to have as much fun as possible.

     No matter the age, pets hate attending family reunions, just like you. The best part is, it will probably take little to no convincing to get them on board to have as much fun as possible. The more obstinate pets can always be a handful to deal with, however, especially when it comes to making decisions. If you’re lucky, the reunion planners will have already prepared fun activities for the little ones. But your best bet is to pack as many fun games as possible. A personal favorite is the Carnival of Terror Trampoline. Trampoline jumping isn’t fun without a little bit of terror! Those of you who are less adventurous may prefer the Carnival of Terror Board Game. There may also be fun destination-specific activities to engage in. For example, if your reunion is in the Haunted Woods, you could climb the Brain Tree. If you do go anywhere, make sure to let someone know where you’re going!

     3. Come up with a list of hilarious, but relatively harmless, pranks to pull.

     Everyone loves a good prank, and they’re a good way to turn a drab gathering into something a little more lively. If you plan on going this route, I recommend doing some prank research before you make your list. Tried and true pranks are never a wrong choice, but you’ll want to have a plethora of material at your fingertips, not only for your benefit, but to keep your family on their toes. The Whoopee Cushion is always a party favorite, one that’s made better with a large group of unsuspecting people. Perhaps a Fake Lucky Cybunny Foot is more your style; it’s not a party until someone accidentally loses a limb! The Fake Ice Cube is a personal favorite because bug gags will get just about anyone, and the results are comical every time.

     It’s best to keep in mind that there will be more than one target at your disposal, so make sure you’re not singling out one person. As the saying goes, spread the love! Make sure that all your pranks are safe, for both you and the members of your family. A fun prank can easily turn into a nightmare if you aren’t careful. And most important of all, don’t forget to enjoy yourself!

     4. Ignore everyone and everything as much as possible.

     Sometimes the best thing you can do is to pretend that you’re the only one at the reunion. Maybe you have family that just drive you up the wall, and maybe the event seems like the end of your world. Your best bet is to find a nice hiding spot to wait out it out, be it an empty guest bedroom, a closet, or depending on the weather, some outdoors secret hideout such as a treehouse. So cover your ears, hum to yourself and pretend you can’t hear a word anyone is saying while you play a competitive game of hide and seek!

     Be aware that using this option leaves you open to those more peskier relatives who just won’t leave you alone. They can sense when you want to be left alone, and before you know it you’re getting a headache from listening to Aunt Edna’s hour-long spiel about her greenhouse full of weird Geraptiku Fly Traps!

     5. When all else fails, feign illness.

     Everyone knows that the worst possible thing that could happen while out on vacation is becoming ill. Why not apply the same thinking to reunions? If you’re trying to get out of attending the reunion in the first place, you’re going to have a difficult time convincing people that you’re actually ill, unless you can effectively prove it. First you’ll want to pick your poison. I mean soup; poison was a figure of speech! You don’t actually want to poison yourself, that would be very bad. You’ll want a soup that will effectively make it look like you have, well, you know… I recommend a soup that not only smells funny, but looks disgusting as well. Some good soup options are: Anything Soup, Ant Soup, or Grarrl Saliva Soup. If you want to get real fancy, then I suggest also picking up the item Fake Barf; it’s always a handy item to have around.

     When you get a free moment, excuse yourself from whatever it is you’re doing and make the most convincing sick face as you leave! Bonus if someone asks if you’re okay.

     You have your choice at this point: make yourself look like a mess with whatever soup you brought, or keep it contained in whatever room you decide to stage the theatrics; I always recommend the restroom for easy clean up. Keep in mind that if you choose to play sick, you’ll have to keep the charade up for as long as you’re at the reunion, so you might have to get creative the longer you’re visiting.

     In closing, although I have only listed five ways to make family reunions more bearable, there are countless more ways to get the same result. Mix and match, explore and discover; the world is at your fingertips. Your family reunions will never be a snore again!