Joanna Gaines Reflects on How Her Kids Aren’t ‘Touchy-Feely’ Ahead of the Holidays

Fixer Upper couple Chip and Joanna Gaines are infamous for a beautiful holiday spread — and Thanksgiving and Christmas are no different. As Chip and Joanna’s kids get older, the traditions change. And Joanna reflected on the holidays now that her children are less “touchy-feely.”

Joanna Gaines talked about having her kids home for the holidays

Joanna Gaines loves the holiday season, as it means she and Chip Gaines get to spend ample time with their family. Chip and Joanna have five kids — Drake, Duke, and Crew are the boys, and Ella Rose and Emmie Kay are the girls. Drake is the oldest at 19 years old, Ella Rose is 17, Duke is 15, Emmie Kay is 13, and Crew is just 5.

While four of the five Gaines kids still live at home, Drake headed to college this past year. And the transition proved challenging for Joanna.

“When we dropped off our oldest son at college this fall, I did what I imagine most mothers do when their firstborn leaves the nest: counted the days until Christmas break,” Joanna wrote on the Magnolia blog. “Four months. Nineteen Saturday mornings. I knew we’d get to see him on weekends here and there, but as we pulled away from his new home — all of us quietly uncertain about how much might’ve just changed forever — I already knew I’d long for more than quick stop-ins and a load of laundry to do.”

Joanna admitted that life didn’t change “all that drastically” when Drake moved out. But she wanted to intentionally create space for her children to reconnect with each other during these breaks. “Most of my kids aren’t the touchy-feely type, so even physical closeness has changed,” she wrote.

“At some point, what once brought us together naturally started to change, so connection became something to cultivate more purposefully,” Joanna continued. “I think this can happen within all sorts of relationships. For whatever reason, the ease of connection just isn’t what it used to be.”

This is how Joanna Gaines invites her kids to reconnect in the home

Joanna Gaines admits her kids aren’t as “touchy-feely” as they once were when they were young. So, she organizes her home around the holidays to invite more interaction, conversation, and connection. She explained in the Magnolia blog that improving the “flow and function” of the home can help tremendously.

Joanna said that she ensures that the furniture in the home “allows for ease of conversation” around the holidays. The Fixer Upper star also has activities ready, like a puzzle on the coffee table or a s’mores kit prepared to grab and use. She also said she adds blankets and lanterns by the bench on the front porch so her family members can spend time outdoors. Or, she’ll ensure she has all her kids’ favorite ingredients stocked in the pantry.

“From guests to neighbors to just the seven of us, I’ve noticed that even these basic additions to our home around the season give us all a reason to kick up our feet and stay a while,” Joanna wrote.

What does the ‘Fixer Upper’ family have on their Thanksgiving table?

Joanna Gaines said she doesn’t hope to “reinvent the menu” when it comes to holiday cooking, according to EatingWell. Instead, she does the classics well.

The Gaines family will typically have dinner rolls, homemade green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, herb-roasted turkey, gravy, Joanna’s mother’s cranberry sauce, and homemade stuffing on the table for Thanksgiving. As for dessert, the Gaines family loves a pumpkin cheesecake with gingersnap crust.

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