Planning a Thanksgiving Party:  Should You Ask Your Guests for Help?

As nice as it is to host a Thanksgiving party, there is a lot of work that goes into doing so. Unfortunately, too many Thanksgiving party hosts find themselves in way over their heads.  Before your Thanksgiving party turns into something that you would like to forget, you are advised to take steps that will help to make your Thanksgiving party easy to plan and prepare for.  While there are a number of steps that you can take, there is one that you may seriously want to consider. That step is asking your party guests for assistance.  

When it comes to asking party guests for assistance, there are many party hosts who are actually horrified at the thought of doing so.  While you may not want to ask your party guests for assistance, you may need to, but it is completely understandable if you would choose not to. However, before you make your final decision, it may be a good idea to examine the advantages and disadvantages of asking your party guests for assistance.  Doing so may make it easier for you decide whether or not it is a good idea to ask your guests for help.  

As you likely already know, the biggest advantage to asking your party guests for assistance is the help that you will receive.  This help, whether it be the purchase of additional beverages or the preparation of a side dish, will likely make your party planning experience easier and much more enjoyable.  The less work you have to do, the more fun your Thanksgiving party is likely to become.  In fact, what you can ask your party guests to do is another advantage to asking them for assistance.

Depending on the type of Thanksgiving party you choose to host, the assistance that you need may vary.  It is nice to include a Thanksgiving dinner with your Thanksgiving party, but it can be costly and time consuming. If you are planning a Thanksgiving party that includes a dinner, it may be a good idea to ask some of your guests, at least the guests that you feel comfortable asking for help, to prepare a small side dish. Additional assistance could come in the form of drinks, Thanksgiving decorations, as well as additional tables and chairs.  

The main disadvantage to asking your Thanksgiving party guests for help is the feeling that you may be left with.  Although many of your party guests, particularly your close friends and family, may be more than willing to offer you assistance, you may feel ashamed to ask.  While this feeling is completely normal, it may still make you feel uncomfortable.  That is why you may also choose not to ask your party guests for assistance.  Although you may not want to ask for help, it is important to remember the extra work that you are giving yourself. As previously mentioned, asking your Thanksgiving party guests for help, even a little bit of it, will not only save you time, but sometimes even money.

If you do make the decision to ask your Thanksgiving party guests for assistance, either with food, drinks, or decorations, it will be best if you ask them in advance.  Even if you are only asking one of your party guests to pickup an extra bottle of wine, it would be nice if you gave them a little bit of notice and time to prepare for your request, no matter how large or small it be.

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