Share with Aunt Bessie’s why family gatherings are the best - chance to win £300 NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

We all know family gatherings can sometimes be a bit stressful but that in the main they are a great way to catch up with loved ones. The team at Aunt Bessie’s would love to hear how you make your family get togethers work for everyone - from the youngest member to the oldest. What role does food play in your gatherings - who does the prep (and who washes up)? What about location, do you like to visit your MILs or do you like hosting yourselves? How often do you get a family gathering on the go - once a year at Christmas or every week?

What’s the best thing which has happened in your family gathering and what memories do you have of gatherings when you were a child? Do you have any traditions you have stuck with or new habits you have come to enjoy?

Aunt Bessie’s say “a proper family gathering is about more than just food – it’s the shared experiences and the bringing together of loved ones that turn a simple meal into something truly special. So we’d love to hear your stories and traditions!”

Add your story for great family gatherings below and you will be entered into a prize draw where one person will win a £300 Love2Shop voucher.

Thanks and good luck

MNHQ
Standard Insight T and Cs apply

[mummykate87]

The best thing is always getting the family all together! We all pitch in with cooking, in-laws, siblings, parents, and make a fab meal together. It's such a joy to be together and to share quality time.

[twinklenic]

we visit my mum and dad every day while my hubby is at work, she lives just 2 doors away , but at christmas we always have a proper family get together and its nice for the younger generation to interact with the elders of the family. everyone seems to enjoy themselves

[pfcpompeysarah]

We've always had a tradition of a family party shortly after Christmas day where we all get together to eat lots of bits and bobs, have a few drinks, and swap tiny xmas presents that are the sort that cost a few pounds, such as choccies, bath salts and so on.

[dragon60]

When the children were teenagers and I was a single parent on a Sunday over dinner we used to write the next weeks dinner rota. Saturday was always do it yourself day ie everyone fend for themselves.The rest of the week was divided up with everyone taking turns to cook.If you cook, you chose what we ate. I'd highly recommend this strategy to everyone.All the children left home able to cook a proper Sunday dinner, as well as a range of your mid week meals.

[Spices001]

Me, my daughter, mom & stepdad eat dinner every Sunday. My mom asks a million times if we want more & is it ok. Love it!

[mo3733]

every sunday we gather at home for sunday lunch at 3 prompt and then play board games til early evening

[andywedge]

Sadly these are too infrequent and for large gatherings they are funerals, but we do have a wedding on the horizon for 2018

[faythy]

Big family meals always start with a bit of fun as one chair has to be brought in from the garage. This chair, especially in the winter months is freezing, and parking your butt on it for a meal isn't the most comfortable experience. Everyone wants to avoid this chair so it's great fun diving into the kitchen trying to be the last to sit down, and fighting for the last warm chair!

[freefan]

We love getting the whole family together and aim to do it at least once a month, all mobiles are switched off when we are together with lots of laughter, some good old rivalry over the board games.

[tia3456]

We generally have a roast dinner most Sundays, usually at our house and can literally be just the 4 of us up to 10 even 12 people, everybody turns up sometimes, but then sister in law mucks in helping dish it out or make the gravy etc, sometimes can be a bit hectic but funny, and it's nice to spend family time together

[SSCRASE123]

Every year we throw a big BBQ for our nearest and dearest, it usually rains but that doesn't stop us, just great to get everyone together and roll back the years.

[AuFinch]

Family gatherings are really important for us. We eat together every evening and have our sunday dinner every week and have family that live far away that visit many times a year and each time I like to have everyone round the table with plenty of food - it creates a great atmosphere, everything gets eaten, everyone has a good time and we all get to talk without any tv or mobiles taking attention away! I like everyone to feel relaxed - after eating we all watch tv and half of us fall asleep!

[Funkyferret]

I've developed the hide of a rhino over the years. In general, family gatherings are fun and relaxed but we have got a couple of "difficult" people who sometimes turn up. I'm good at the "smile, nod and indulge - then sink the gin the moment they leave" but over the years, I've got a couple of family allies that I've trained up so they can take their turn!

[rennie1811]

I love get togethers with the family, I normally do the cooking and clearing up but as my kids are getting older they are slowly starting to help me out with the prep which I love

[vickyors]

Our family gatherings are so much fun.. we all muck in.: there is mass peeling of potatoes, then we sort the veg. We wash up after while we listen to music.. it’s fun!

[emmav6]

it's not often we get all the family together for a meal for xmas so do the big turkey roast together whenever we can all make it, even if its in june!

[xcxcsophiexcxc]

Me and my nan would make trifle from a mix every year for Christmas since I was a little girl. Love her so much , bless her , first Christmas with her

[007hel]

Plenty of love and laughter at our family gatherings, I’m not a big talker or joker but there are some in the family to keep us all laughing

[glenka]

Family gatherings are not the most favourite thing to do for me, there have been so many different arguments between our relations over the years so we now don't bother with them.

[MrsDramaQueen]

Over the years Christmas has been stressful, as both sets of parents and parents in law want us to go there on the same day. We spend years driving from one to the other, being pulled from pillar to post. We decided when the kids were toddlers that we weren't going to do it anymore, so now we have Christmas on our own. If people want to come to us they can, but we do it on our terms. The kids can open their toys at home and we enjoy our time as a family. Christmas eve we have Christmas eve box, and curl up and watch a Christmas film. We have made our own traditions for the kids.

[mummymummums]

My mum was never a big cook, but when we were children, and into early adulthood every Boxing Day we had a family gathering at ours, or one of two other relatives' houses. All had children our aged, and it was smears loads of fun. Group games were organised like drawing games or charades, and much cheating went on. I expect the adults drank a lot! Catering was shared with each family bringing buffet dishes.
I'm nearly 50 but look back on it v fondly. I'd like the same for my children but neither my brother or either of my SiLs have children so we make efforts to have large group events with friends - BBQs and pizza evenings etc.

[maryandbuzz1]

Our big family gatherings are always held in the summer. We tend to use my brothers house as he has a big garden where we set up a barbecue. This suits all the family and keeps things on a casual basis. It also means we can all contribute so one person doesn’t get all the stress ...it’s easy to delegate tasks and food preparation can be done in our own homes before we arrive.

[angela25rose]

Every new years day all my family come together to play charades and the game 'who am I?' Great entertainment especially when the tv isn't very entertaining

[funkyfreks]

Meal times are like a factory operation process in this house we love it, one preps the table, one serves, one gets the drinks and we all sit down and have a catch up on the day.