How to Have a Special Thanksgiving that Meets Your Guests' Special Needs

A nuclear family may be very small but when it comes to Thanksgiving houses can fill up fast. You can accommodate all the guests at your Thanksgiving celebration if you take some time to consider the needs of everyone.

1. Make your home wheelchair accessible. People in wheelchairs, scooters, arm braces, or even carrying canes can benefit from a smooth even ramp. It is always a good idea to make your home permanently wheelchair accessible, but you may not have the time or the means. If this is the case, you can get temporary wheelchair ramps just for your Thanksgiving celebration.

2. Make sure everyone has all the seating choices they need. Have booster seats and high chairs for the little ones. Clear out room in the dining room so that wheelchairs and scooters can be maneuvered to the dining chairs. In your living and family room, have a variety of seating for all kinds of needs. Some people do best with a soft chair, while others need a firm chair that they can get out of easily.

3. Ask about food sensitivities. When you are talking to your potential guests and inviting them to your Thanksgiving celebration, ask them if they have any allergies. Peanut allergies are especially dangerous. If someone tells you they have a serious allergy, do not even use that ingredient in your kitchen as you prepare your Thanksgiving meal.

4. Find out if your guests are on special diets. Someone's special diet, as long as it is not an allergy diet, need not dictate your menu. It is nice to know, though, so you can include some of the foods that each person is allowed to eat. Once the variety of food is on the Thanksgiving table, leave it up to people to police themselves in choosing what is best for them.

5. Consider whether some of your guests might have trouble chewing certain foods. Babies and young toddlers will not be able to eat everything you might serve. Older adults who have gum, jaw, or tooth problems might also have trouble chewing. You cannot base your entire Thanksgiving meal on them, but you can include several soft foods.

6. Have unbreakable plates and glasses on hand. Parents will usually welcome the idea that their children can eat on their own without worry of breaking dishes. You should also be prepared with a beautiful unbreakable plate to offer an adult. Someone might request one if they have a condition which makes them very shaky or jerky in their movements. For the same reasons, offer unbreakable glasses to those who want them.

7. Make lightweight dishes and glasses available. You might have very heavy china and heavy crystal stemware. A set like this is very impressive for a Thanksgiving dinner. Yet, there are those who will have trouble lifting the glasses because of weakness in their arms and hands. Keep them in mind when you set the table. It is more important to make everyone comfortable than to show off your crystal.

If impressing everyone is your primary goal in having a Thanksgiving dinner, think about what impresses people most. People are more amazed by warm hospitality and thoughtfulness than they are by the most design-coordinated celebration. Show your extravagance this Thanksgiving in your considerate attitude that includes everyone.