Tomorrow is the big day.  By now you probably have most, if not all, of the food on hand.  You have a menu in mind.  The plans are set.   For the food.   With a big family it’s an enormous production.  Could you use some help?

You have probably noticed by now that wherever you go your children trail you.  Some would say they are “under foot.”   Our first tendency is to send everyone away and work alone.   Don’t do that.  More work for you, less holiday for them.  This is a kitchen holiday.  Three-quarters of it is spent in the kitchen.  Yes, the prep is part of the good time, but only if you let it.  The last quarter is spent at the table, and, if you’re lucky, flows over into games and fun afterwards.

Here’s how to make the holiday fun.

1.  Get everyone into the kitchen at once.  The more the merrier is really true.  Have snacks on hand, you’ll be there a while.

2.  Once there, put on some music everyone likes, or tell old stories, or make up turkey songs.  You could also talk about games or activities for tomorrow afternoon, after the big dinner.

3.  Put aprons or towels, or old shirts, or whatever on everyone, so that they can be messy.  Food prep can be messy.

4.  Tell them they are your crew, your sous chefs, your team.  Your Turkey Team!

5.  Depending on their ages, give them appropriate tasks, from the following list:

The relish tray.  This is an easy job.  Placing olives, celery sticks, pickles, carrots, whatever on a tray and covering it with plastic.  It will keep a young child busy for quite some time, an older child can complete it in a snap.

The pie crusts.  Not for the inexperienced, this job can be very time consuming depending on how big your pies are.   I mean your eyes.   As in “our eyes were bigger than our stomachs.”
Keep it simple.

The turkey.  If you have a big tub (not in your bathroom, silly) in which to place the bird, I would recommend it.  One of those big heavy plastic rubbermaid kinds of storage tubs would be perfect.  And ice.  You need to thaw it, but you also need it to not deteriorate.  So, thawing it in ice water will achieve both.  Our mothers used to set the turkey in the sink with cold water, but it’s just in the way in the sink.  Give the turkey his own bathtub, and leave him all day and all night. Oh, and leave his wrapping on him.

Rolls.  If you’re making them, the kids can help.   They can beat up the dough, pound it, turn it, flour it.  It’s so much fun for them.  Then they can tear it into balls and roll it around in their hands and rub oil on them and place them in a pan, side by side.  Doesn’t that sound like the kind of messy fun they so love?  The dough will recover as it rises, so no worries.  If you start early with this endeavor, it will save you time and become a valued tradition.

Decorations.  Children have a ton of imagination.  Keep ‘em busy with construction paper markers, glue and scissors.   Have them draw pilgrims, or turkeys.   No construction paper on hand?  How about those brown paper sacks from the grocery store?  They can trace their hands, or you can, on them and using their thumbs as the turkey’s head, and their fingers as his feathers, make respectable turkeys.  Color, or paste feathers and draw some eyes and feet and go from there.  Creativity is a wonderful thing.

The stuffing.  Making a simple bread stuffing is easy as pie.  No, it’s easier than pie.  Cut up or tear up bread slices.  Cut up celery.  Melt butter. Add chicken broth and whatever else you like to it, and voila, stuffing!  Cover it and stick it in the frig until tomorrow morning when you will stuff it unceremoniously into the bird.  You’ll probably do it alone.  It’s something I usually do while everyone’s still sleeping.

6.  Clean up.   Don’t forget about washing pots and bowls and counters.  Kids like water, and standing at the sink is very often “fun” for them.  If you’re smart, you’ll take advantage of that idea and get some help with the dishes.  Don’t forget, these are teaching moments.  Ask your husband to oversee this part.  He knows how to do dishes, too.

Now, you have the biggest part of the prep in hand, you can go play, or sit and watch a movie, or take a nap.  Tomorrow is the big day, and you will need your energy for the rest of the meal prep, the table setting, and the fun that follows.