Imagine Magazine Question for 11/15 - "At the Kid's Table"

[JeffsFort]

The holidays are here and when we were kids, that would often mean one thing. Sitting down to ma meal or two with family we may not see very often. I've been to family gatherings as a kid and a few as an adult and I'll be honest, the "Kid's Table" was way more interesting. At the "Big" table, the adults are usually discussing politics, work stories, football stats, financial crap, and often doing it while dressing semi formally and drinking fancy wine... While at the kid's table, belching contests, jokes, and the occasional "Look how far I can shoot a pea from my nose!" brag followed by lots of laughter! (...and usually the order from the big table for us to settle down.)

So the question I have for you guys is, what were holiday gatherings like for you and your family? Could be from the past, could be recently. Maybe you now sit at the adult table but want to go sit a the kid's table to actually have fun. Got a killer mashed potato sculpture story to tell? We want to hear about it! 💜

[D.K. Daniels]

Oh man, I lived for the kids' table growing up — seriously, I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything. When I was a teen and even into my early twenties, I’d still choose to hang out with the younger cousins instead of sitting at the adult table talking taxes, football stats, or whatever new diet everyone was on. The kids were just fun. They kept things silly and light, and honestly, that was all I wanted — just to enjoy the moment without worrying about the boring “grown-up stuff.”

One year, during a family holiday gathering, we had this wild hail-and-sleet storm roll through. While the adults stayed dry inside, the boys and I turned the icy mix into a full-on snowball fight. We were compacting sleet into these rock-solid snowballs (definitely questionable in hindsight), and launching them at each other like it was a battlefield. At one point, someone hit a metal post — the sound was insane! We all burst out laughing like it was the funniest thing we’d ever heard. Dangerous? Probably. But that kind of reckless, in-the-moment fun is what I miss most.

Looking back now, those memories are the kind that stick — pure chaos, laughter, and being fully present. Even now, when I’m at the adult table, part of me wants to sneak off and see what kind of trouble the kids are getting into. That’s where the real party is!

[Page Scrawler]

I never liked holiday gatherings with my family. Dealing with relatives I don't like, being forced to sit through boring conversations I have no interest in? No thanks. 90% of the foods were things I don't even enjoy.

It was always too much chaos that resulted in me feeling overstimulated and exhausted by the end of the night.

Nowadays, I spend holidays with my husband's family, which is much smaller (and quieter) than my own family. I get to contribute to the menu, which means I can eat food that I actually want.

So, while holidays weren't something I particularly looked forward to in the past, I do enjoy them now, especially with my kids.

[JeffsFort]

The drive to my Aunt's house... That was a real mixed bag for me and my two younger siblings. We would always be excited to see our cousins and grandmother on my father's side of the family but, it was in a household that was way too uptight for a group of preteen kids. We had to be on our best behavior and not upset our Aunt who hosted the gathering. The food was always great and while we got to hide...I mean hang out in our cousin's rooms while the adults did what the adults always did, we had a lot of fun. The moment we were yelled for to come down, we needed to all sit at the kid's table and try not to get our cousins in trouble with their mother. That's probably the only thing I didn't like. Of the group, I was the oldest by a good couple of years so if our table got a little too loud, I'd take the lead and apologize and hope that was enough. Typically, the cousins that lived in the house were reminded that they were expected to be the example. Like that was needed...

They were also expected to help clean up and the rest of us had to kind of push our way in to help so we could go back up stairs and hang out sooner. Then sometimes, they would be scolded for making us 'need' to help. It was just ridiculous. So we were happy to see each other but normally left feeling like we somehow got our cousins in some kind of trouble every holiday, even just by trying to help. To this day I don't know why that gathering absolutely had to be so perfect for her or even why she had to host it every year but, when we stopped gathering as a family, it was both sad and a little bit of a relief. Of course now we would most likely go out of our way to get each other in trouble because, what else is family for? LOL!