If there’s one thing that tweens dread during the holiday season, it’s family reunions. Most of them have no choice but to attend, of course, but while they’re physically present, you know that mentally and emotionally, they’re trying to distance themselves from every adult in the room as much as possible.

They’ll answer when questioned, but other than that, they’ll stay in one corner playing with their video games or fiddling with their smart phones.

If you want to get your own tween to participate in family reunions, you can simply bark an order and she’d most likely follow. But if you want her to truly appreciate family time and offer her help wholeheartedly, you need to be more creative.

Here are a few suggestions that may help:

(Screencap from New Year's Eve courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)