Family reunions and neighborhood barbecues are meant to be fun gatherings.  The combination of crowds, heat and frenetic planning, however, can also be stressful. Tensions can erupt into conflict. As we often point out in our articles, nobody really loves conflict.  That being said, those of us in the conflict management field will tell you avoidance isn’t usually the best approach.  People dodge conflict when they don’t have the skills to effectively engage. Boundary-setting is one of those skills. In fact, setting boundaries can actually improve relationships.