10 Ways to Enjoy Thanksgiving like a Child

1. Watch a Thanksgiving Day Parade. There used to be one parade to watch on TV, Macy's. But now the Thanksgiving Day parades are televised on almost every major network. Take time out of your holiday preparation to sit down and watch the parade. If you need to be in the kitchen tending to the turkey, make a spouse or a child watch for your favorite singer or star and have them call you in. Also do not forget to watch for Santa at the end. That is the only reason most kids watch the parade.

2. Break the wishbone. Usually a job for kids, why can't an adult do it one year? Make your wish and pull. Just be sure not tell anyone or else it won't come true.

3. Sneak a treat from the kitchen. This is not as fun if you are the only person in the kitchen. If you are, recruit someone to help even if it is just whipping the mashed potatoes or opening a can of cranberry sauce. During preparation, try to sneak a bite of some else's creation. For some reason food tastes better this way.

4. Forget about your diet. Unless you are on a diet for medical reasons, do not worry about the calories or fat you put into your mouth. Liberally put gravy on everything, not just the turkey or the stuffing. Butter your roll. Have two or more starches. Enjoy every bite like a kid does.

5. Put whipped cream on your pie. This one correlates with #4. Try more than one tasty treat, not just one thing like the pumpkin pie. Make sure you enjoy your treats with extra toppings. The kid in you will thank you.

6. Watch your favorite holiday movie at the end of the day. NBC may not air It's a Wonderful Life on Thanksgiving night anymore, but that does not mean you cannot watch it. To really indulge the kid in you, play your favorite version of Rudolph or watch an Alvin and the Chipmunks holiday movie.

7. Have everyone help out cleaning up. You may have hated helping to clean as a kid. Now as an adult, you can make cleaning a fun time of fellowship. Put on some holiday music ,sing loudly and dance. Just be sure not to break the china.

8. Take a nap on the couch. It does not matter who is at your house. Let yourself doze off watching the Lions play football. This will not be very hard if you eat a lot of starches and turkey for dinner.

9. Play a game. Bring out your favorite board game and have the family play. There may be a few groans at first, but the fun of spending time together will easily make everyone forget their apprehension.

10. Look through the day-after-Thanksgiving ads for what you want. Forget about others for a while and look for what you would like to see most under the tree for yourself. If you want to extend acting like a kid into next day, go shopping that Friday and buy yourself something special.