Stop Banishing Your Single Loved Ones to the Kids’ Table
An etiquette guide for supporting the uncoupled during the holidays
Every year, I watch in horror as the holidays bring out some of the worst social behaviors around single people. And this year, I just can’t force one more smile.
Can we tackle this once and for all? Honestly, it’s really so easy. Just keep these simple tips in mind.
Don’t Sit Your Single Female Relatives at the Kids’ Table
A friend of mine literally just experienced this two years ago (pre-pandemic). I mean…come on, people. This is so patronizing.
Where are the single men sitting? At the grown-ups’ table, of course.
I don’t care how old — or young — a woman is. If she’s over 18 (or maybe even 16), she belongs at the adults’ table.
A woman who is single is not a child. She hasn’t failed to grow up. She’s not stunted.
Further, this social gaffe is sometimes influenced by very outdated social expectations around single women. It’s as if we still see women who aren’t married as nannies, babysitters, and governesses — a.k.a. “practice moms.”
