Dysfunctional Family Bingo

The holidays are full of uncomfortable situations.

Take family gatherings.  Please.  (Cue rim shot.)

If you choose to see your loved ones even though it puts you face to face with family members you’d rather not see, try Martha Beck’s Dysfunctional Family Bingo.

Here’s how it works:
You make a bingo card much like traditional ones.  But instead of letters and numbers, you use situations.

Situations you would rather avoid.

Like…
Mom criticizes my hair
Uncle Jim touches me inappropriately
Angie’s family ignores me
Suzie brags about her house in Boca
Dad gets drunk and picks a fight
Ann is passive aggressive
Everyone gets a present except me

You get the idea.

You check each one off until you complete an entire row or column.

BINGO!!

Once you choose to be in a situation that makes you cringe, why not make it less painful?
Change your thoughts from painful to gleeful.

It’s a major reframe.

You may actually be rooting for Grandpa to suck his teeth after dinner if it means you win.