“Comical” is how my family would describe our disaster-prone holiday seasons. Despite our no-frills get-togethers, recent years have seen mishap after mishap. In 2015, I missed my flight home. That’s also the year the oven’s glass door shattered without warning all over the turkey. In 2014, my dad caught a stomach bug, and the electricity went out as we cooked dinner. And we still joke about the time one toddler’s illness felled a number of family members and neighbors on Christmas Day, sending a few to the hospital for IV fluids.

Of course, incidents like these only become funny with the passage of time. In the moment, they’re frustrating and stressful. There are steps you can take to minimize their impact on your holiday cheer, however, and our holiday survival guide can help. Check our list scenarios and experiences to prepare for or even prevent holiday mishaps from turning into full-blown holiday disasters.

The best (or rather not-so-bad) worst-case scenarios

These incidents cause inconvenience. But because they don’t interfere with the most important parts of the season—friends, family, and food—they can’t truly ruin anything.

Expect this child to melt down in 3 … 2 … 1 …

Holidays can be especially stressful for kids, given the potential for unfamiliar faces and deviation from routine. So the odd temper tantrum should come as no surprise. But that doesn’t mean you should just suffer through it. Whether it’s your own child or a young relation, the best tactic is to remove them from the situation and occupy their attention with another activity.

A trip to an indoor playground or indoor trampoline park is an effective way for school-age children to exercise their pent-up energy and socialize with playmates their own age. Surly older kids can benefit from getting out of the house, too. They might prefer to go to a laser-tag arena, where they can be independent from adults and away from their boring preoccupation with “the news.”

Santa didn’t exactly come through on the gift front

Let’s say that getting your gifts delivered by drone didn’t work out so well. Perhaps the drone got stuck in a tree, delaying the package’s arrival, or it recognized that the package it was carrying contained a rival drone that needed to be destroyed. Don’t worry—you can salvage this gift exchange! Check out the experiences you can gift in place of popular online orders:

• Instead of the latest video game, gift them the real-life equivalent, a live room-escape game, where they have to use their wits and cooperate with teammates to solve clues.

• Instead of jewelry and accessories, help them look cover-ready with blowouts and eyelash extensions. (Such pampering might be especially valuable come New Year’s Eve.)

• Instead of a new pricey gadget to replace one that’s been dropped time and again, give the gift of electronics repair services so they can invest in a protective case or fix the cracked screen to come.

“Surprise! Meet these extra houseguests I didn’t tell you about!”

What, you didn’t know your nephew had gotten engaged to a person he met two months ago? Plaster a smile on your face, and find a way to get them out of the house. (You need time to grumble, reapportion your holiday meals, and redesign the sleeping arrangements.) Suggest they go out and explore the area while they’re visiting—“Maybe check out a nearby brewery?” A beer tasting is guaranteed to give you a few hours to adjust.

But what if gift-giving is expected? We have a few last-minute gift ideas—as well as creative ways to package them—for people with whom you’re not on intimate terms:

• If you were given some notice, like a month or so: Connect with the unfamiliar visitor on social media, then use one of their most flattering photos to make a customizable print, bobblehead, or blanket. If that feels a bit creepy, you can simply use their name to personalize jewelry or kitchen gear.

• If you had no notice at all: Give them a dining experience at a well-reviewed restaurant in their hometown.

The downright terrible worst-case scenarios

Any of these holiday disasters might make you want to take to the couch in a catatonic state, refusing to be roused until next year. Of course, you’ll be fine if you’re armed with our advice.

Oops, someone forgot to take the bird out of the freezer to thaw

Food is a critical component of this season. In fact, a 2013 survey commissioned by the Grain Foods Foundation found that 90% of American adults believe eating a holiday meal with family is one of the best parts about this time of the year. The problem with these high-pressure meals, however, is that any number of things can go wrong, from defrosting miscalculations to burnt food to the whole glass-oven-shattering thing.

If your only loyalty is good food, not traditional family recipes, then we urge you to skip the stress altogether and set up a holiday catering order in advance. But if you’re committed to replicating Grandma’s spread, have a contingency plan in place if things go wrong. Stock your freezer with alternative mains whose preparation is easy and familiar to you (think Omaha Steaks and similar suppliers). Supplement the meal with Groupon to Go or OrderUp delivery from any local restaurants that happen to be open. Chinese food is the stereotypical choice, but we recommend Indian and Nepalese cuisine. Be sure to tip handsomely.

“Under the weather” is a kind term for this feeling

A holiday illness can really throw a wrench into things. For instance, my parents usually take charge of our big family meals, with the rest of us helping here and there. When my dad fell ill on Thanksgiving, we all pitched in because it would have been unwise for him to handle food. Not everything turned out as it should have, though—like when my uncle was drafted into carving the turkey and proceeded to cut it up a few centimeters at a time. He has since been banned from that duty.

What to do if you’re the one who’s under the weather:

• If you’re generally in charge of preparing for guests, you need to have a backup plan in case you’re out of commission. Schedule a housecleaning session before the holiday so your home is in tiptop shape. Send your helpers to cooking classes so they’re prepared to take the mantle of head chef.

• If you’re merely feeling run-down, delegate tasks to your second-in-command and book a relaxation service. Acupuncture, for example, may relieve body aches and open up clogged sinuses. If you’re well and truly ill, have your main helper take over your duties and ask the highest-ranking relative to take everyone else ice skating. You should retreat to your bed for a few hours of undisturbed recuperation.

What to do if anyone else is feeling sick:

• Quarantine them! Believe me, you definitely don’t want it to spread. Supply them with medicine, fluids, and tissues, then leave them to wallow in their sickbed.

• Take yourself and your uninfected visitors out so the sick person can sleep it off. Avoid leaving them out by finding an activity that’s fun but not too fun, such as seeing a week-old movie or a familiar theatrical production, like A Christmas Carol. Just lay off entering the Hamilton ticket lottery until they’re feeling better.

Winter Storm Hildegard seemingly delays every flight

As someone who’s cried in front of a gate agent, I know missing a flight can be heart-wrenching. But as that same gate agent told me, the best course of action is to calm yourself down, suck it up, and figure out a new plan.

What to do if you’ve missed your flight: If your flight has been rescheduled for another day, and you’re able to leave the airport, take your mind off your misfortune by dropping into a fitness class. We particularly recommend restorative, meditative yoga to reduce your stress and boost your mood. If you’re stuck at the airport, check the terminal map for a yoga room. Such studios will allow you to get away from other grumpy travelers, accept your present circumstances, and practice your favorite sequence of poses.

What to do if you’re awaiting guests who’ve been delayed: Instead of waiting around and fussing over insignificant tasks at home, occupy yourself with some pampering. Unwind with a mani-pedi that will also prevent you from obsessively checking your phone for travel updates. And since the delays have probably messed up the schedule, delegate airport pickup to an outside party so you don’t have to reorganize your plans. A transportation service will be ready and waiting with a luxury car and a professional driver. It’s an easy way to earn brownie points with the in-laws without giving them all of the softest cotton balls in the house.