Tolerating Tough Relationships through Bingo

By Kristin L. Daley, PhD, FSBSM

The holidays can bring a lot of emotional and relational baggage. For many folks, there has been an effort to solve some of the family struggles, and yet they seem to come back with intensity when there is an overload of food, drink, and time together. As an answer to this challenge, I present to you Dysfunctional Family Bingo, the coping skill that helps to put the “fun” back into family dysfunction.

Each bingo card has 25 spaces, and it is essential to brainstorm 25 different annoying scenarios or challenging interactions that deserve a spot on the card. If you have a partner who is equally challenged by these family events, it may be worthwhile to come up with a few bingo cards, and potential prizes. The cards are intended to accomplish two purposes: letting go of thinking idealistically about interactions and creating a bond between yourself and anyone else who might also be struggling through it. Think of this as your own private round of “Cards Against Humanity.” Obviously, this sample card should be customized to your own family issues. As an alternative, you could create a scavenger hunt where you try to capture some of the challenges that will appear, in photos or recordings.

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