The game of chairs

> Sitting everyone in their correct position for large Chinese family gatherings can be a headache, but here are some suggestions on how to overcome it

rebelling against lemon chicken and sweet sour pork during in their teens. They exclaimed: “We want what you’re having.”

It’s like they woke up from their childlike stupor, and realised what the adults were eating. “Give us the asam fish, the pork trotters, the mantis prawns!”

If you don’t want a food rebellion in your family, take my advice. Upgrade the kids’ dishes if you see them salivating over yours.

Once the menu is standardised for all tables, it is not necessary to segregate according to age. Children can sit with adults, and interact with the elders instead of just with their peers.

On one occasion, we decided to do something different. We drew lots to determine who would sit at which table. It was quite fun.

Or else, try a first-comefirst-seated policy. Fill up one table first before occupying the next.

If you are dining at home, most families have dining tables that can sit six to eight people. And at an eight-seater rectangular table, you can easily squeeze in two more seats.

For this purpose, I bought two wooden stools which do not occupy space as they fit snugly under the table when not in use.

When my son-in-law and future daughter-in-law come over, all eight of us can sit snugly at the table.

When the entire clan congregates, I put out the foldable tables and chairs borrowed from my language centre. After draping an old curtain over the table, it looks pretty decent.

If you can’t borrow tables from somewhere, invest in a foldable banquet table. You can easily get one for about RM100. When not in use, it can be conveniently stashed in the storeroom.

As for chairs, go for a combination of foldable chairs and stools. Chairs with backs are more comfortable, but when space is constrained at the dining table, stools fit the bill perfectly.

Don’t want to clutter your house? The next time you have a get-together in your home, ask your guests to bring their own chair.

However, you must ask the right people who won’t mind.

If you do not want to bother with all the extra tables and chairs, you can still host a big group by staggering the timing. Let your guests eat in shifts.

While one batch is eating, the others can wait and socialise at the same time. No sweat, just a little salivating.

is a mother of four and author of nine books, including the latest, Cow Sense for Young People. Send comments to lifestyle.lydia@ thesundaily.com.