Are you having a big family gathering for Thanksgiving? Well, now is the time to lay out your plans for the day.

One way to make your holiday feel more like family time is to bring family members into the cooking process. Instead of one or two people spending all their time in the kitchen, how about involving more family members in all steps of dinner preparation?

To start, consider asking some people to bring something. It may be that Aunt Marguerite makes the best cranberry sauce, or Cousin Rita has a wonderful hand with pie pastry. Don’t hog all the glory or take on all the work.

Even if someone is not a cook, they can help. For example, this husband is doing the heavy lifting on the turkey to make basting so much easier. Chores such as setting the table, polishing the silver, or ironing napkins can be handed out to various family members.

Be sure to make any children part of the preparation as well as the festivities. Stirring dressing, reading a recipe or even chopping celery if the child is old enough makes them feel like an important part of the holiday plans. And at dinner, it gives them the opportunity to say, “I helped,” when compliments are given.

Be sure to give family members and friends who pitched in lots of credit and compliments on the big day – then they’re so much more likely to help again next year!