Thanksgiving is supposed to be a time for family. But you know family, chances are, you do have some annoying kin who are just too plain insensitive. So you might have to deal with them for a day during Thanksgiving. But what if you have some annoying family (or even friends) who are settling in for a longer haul planning to extend their stay and they’re usually even uninvited! At your wits end? Hehe. People. Here’s how you can deal with them.

Probably one of the most practical ways is to make reasons. Here are some excuses that often work:

• The apartment’s being repainted for the weekend.
• You have to go on a trip the weekend. (If they insist on house-sit for you, woops. You’re dealing with a really annoying one.)
• Feign sickness like flu. Just wet your forehead, act feverish, cough and sneeze intentionally at times.
• The mother-in-law is visiting. Oh, a classic.

You can also make your home a bit visitor-unfriendly.

• Hide your couch. Find some ample room to places where guests can’t usually venture (especially if you don’t have an extra room). Chances are, visitors will be bunk on your couch. Without a couch, they won’t have any place to sleep.
• No extra blankets. So they still insist even if there are no sleeping areas. They can still sleep on the floor witha blanket. Then don’t offer any extra blankets.
• Keep an empty fridge. Go classical Chinese Art of War here. Cut the enemy’s supply lines. The thing with freeloading guests is that they probably won’t go out and shop. If they starve, chances are they’ll go.
• Shut the heating and cooling. Just be sure they’re not handymen or repair guys or else you’re just making it easy for them to stay just a bit longer.

If they just won’t budge with such subtle hints. Just tell them straight. Be firm but not too confrontational.