Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why "skip it"? That's weird. I mean volunteering is good but there is no reason you need others around to make it special for you and your husband.

Maybe "skipping it" isn't quite the right phrase, but we don't really care about the meal itself and have no desire to roast a turkey and all the fixins, so we're not going to bother.

\

^^ So go online to Wegman's (or whatever) website and place an order. Done and done. No prep, no mess, and a good Thanksgiving meal.

You sound depressed. Or lazy. Or self-centered. Or combo.

I'm so confused about this. No one is forcing you to eat turkey. Just do what you're supposed to do on Thanksgiving and...be thankful. DH and I have never spent Thanksgiving with our families in all the years we've been together and it's great. Sometimes we cook (not turkey), sometimes we go out. I've never thought of it as "skipping Thanksgiving".

Go on a hike, see a movie, eat out... Do you celebrate Christmas? Put up your Xmas decorations.

Instead of cheering on turkey trot-put kid in stroller and do it! Our turkey trot tradition also is having people over for a quick brunch with mimosas. Started small with a couple friends and a neighbor now we sometimes have 40 ppl drop in-some just visiting relatives of neighbors etc. We just do egg type casseroles and people bring fruit and non-Thanksgiving flavor sides and desserts. People show up still in running clothes and since it's all early-everyone gone by 11 or so. Festive, fun and makes day warm and inclusive. You could start something and grow it

We usually go for a hike, then make homemade pizza after. No interest in traditional Thanksgiving food. (We are veggie and have no interest in sitting at a dinner table with a turkey on it.)

Occasionally, if doing a vegetarian Friendsgiving, that's another story. I love getting *veggie creative* when preparing food for a larger group. That about every 3-4 years.

But really, it's a great day to explore nature as a family.

I would skip Thanksgiving every year if I could. I loathe the holiday. I like to take the kids to the park in the morning and run them around on the years I am not cooking.

Travel? My kids loved going to Great Wolf Lodge for Thanksgiving. 21 months may be a little young for a place like that, but somewhere else?

I am fully ready for DCUM to flip their shit but one year I had a hysterectomy the Tuesday before thanksgiving. I got home on Turkey day. DH ordered...get ready... a thanksgiving meal from BOB EVANS...and it was amazing!! We have ordered Whole Foods and even dined The Ritz Carlton for Thanksgiving and I swear up and down Bob had the better feast. My family asks for it every year. I can't bring myself to order it when I am able bodied but its tempting. SO my suggestion would be to order Bob Evans and put up your tree (if you do that!).

The year we were in a similar position - Mom, Dad and a toddler - we watched the parade, went for a hike (toddler alternated between walking a riding in a hiking backpack), and made a leisurely dinner of Cornish game hens, roasted potatoes, and steamed green beans. We pulled out the nice china & silver for DH and me, and had our traditional talk about all of the things we're thankful for. It was a wonderful day, had all of the elements of Thanksgiving that mattered to us, with zero stress or pressure.

Make you own tradition, afternoon movie or something. You might have to do this again, might as well start a tradition now.

Go to a local park and hike if the weather is good.

Eat out somewhere that is open. Go to the movies.

Have whatever meal you love at home and decorate for the holidays.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My small family (DH, me, toddler) decided not to travel to either family for Thanksgiving this year, and none of our local friends will be around for a "friendsgiving," so we're basically skipping the holiday. Any ideas what to do for the day? Our son is 21 months. I love the idea of doing some volunteer work somewhere, but I think he's too little.

Volunteering on Thanksgiving is more about you than those who need help. Organizations hate casual volunteers who perform on holidays.

Start your own Thanksgiving traditions but don't ignore the day if it's something you want your child to care about in the future.

+1

You're a family. Have a family Thanksgiving meal.

Skipping turkey and mashed potatoes won't make us less of a family, but thanks! Anyways, just looking for some fun ideas of how to spend the day.

Just do whatever you would normally do on a family day together.

It's always just our family of four on Thanksgiving and we love it that way. We do have the traditional meal because that's important to my husband and kids and I don't mind preparing it. But other than that, we watch the parade in the morning, set the table for dinner with the good dishes (you don't need to be eating turkey for that!), listen to Christmas music on the radio all day, and after dinner we haul the holiday decorations out of the basement closet and put them up. We've never done a Turkey Trot since when my kids were younger they did a 1 mile fun run the next morning, but given the age of your DS that might be a fun option too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My small family (DH, me, toddler) decided not to travel to either family for Thanksgiving this year, and none of our local friends will be around for a "friendsgiving," so we're basically skipping the holiday. Any ideas what to do for the day? Our son is 21 months. I love the idea of doing some volunteer work somewhere, but I think he's too little.

Volunteering on Thanksgiving is more about you than those who need help. Organizations hate casual volunteers who perform on holidays.

Start your own Thanksgiving traditions but don't ignore the day if it's something you want your child to care about in the future.

+1

You're a family. Have a family Thanksgiving meal.

Skipping turkey and mashed potatoes won't make us less of a family, but thanks! Anyways, just looking for some fun ideas of how to spend the day.

Why don't you ask your spouse? Perhaps they have some ideas, or they would be bummed NOT to have a family meal.
Regardless, I think you just want attention for flouting tradition and "skipping Thanksgiving"

Not the OP, but what is your deal? She stated in the OP that her family decided to skip the holiday and you've turned it into something she's forcing on her husband for attention? Calm down.

DP. I think people are reacting to the "skipping part" which might be better framed as "starting our own traditions" for the holiday. IMHO, if its about starting a nuclear family tradtion, OP and DH have to agree on how they want this to evolve.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My small family (DH, me, toddler) decided not to travel to either family for Thanksgiving this year, and none of our local friends will be around for a "friendsgiving," so we're basically skipping the holiday. Any ideas what to do for the day? Our son is 21 months. I love the idea of doing some volunteer work somewhere, but I think he's too little.

Volunteering on Thanksgiving is more about you than those who need help. Organizations hate casual volunteers who perform on holidays.

Start your own Thanksgiving traditions but don't ignore the day if it's something you want your child to care about in the future.

+1

You're a family. Have a family Thanksgiving meal.

Skipping turkey and mashed potatoes won't make us less of a family, but thanks! Anyways, just looking for some fun ideas of how to spend the day.

Why don't you ask your spouse? Perhaps they have some ideas, or they would be bummed NOT to have a family meal.
Regardless, I think you just want attention for flouting tradition and "skipping Thanksgiving"

Not the OP, but what is your deal? She stated in the OP that her family decided to skip the holiday and you've turned it into something she's forcing on her husband for attention? Calm down.