Meeting the parents

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AllSeasons

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I will be meeting her parents for the first time in the near future. I’ve never met any “parents” before, so any advice you may have for me would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.
 
Do:

Be kind.
Be gracious.
Offer to help with cleaning up after dinner (if going for a meal).
Compliment the family genuinely on things (don’t be fake).

Don’t:

Burp.
Pick your nose.
Make off-color comments.
Insult anyone.
Put your feet up on the furniture.
Leave the toilet unflushed.
Wreck their things.

Be yourself. Your girlfriend sees something in you. Show her parents the guy that your girlfriend likes. Be real. Be yourself. Be nice. Be polite.
 
When her father and mother walk into the room, STAND UP and greet them with a handshake.

That made more impression on my husband and I than anything else, when we met our son-in-law for the first time.😃
 
Nice firm handshake for both of the parents, engage in some conversation, be honest & truthful when responding to anything, wear something decently nice, and don’t be too nervous. I was always nervous at first, and yeah it’ll probably be awkward for a little while, but that all passes with time.

The parents (in my opinion) will probably be asking a lot of questions in order to get to know you better, but it really depends on the family. Regardless, show the parents respect, but more than that, show the girl respect. The parents want the best for their daughter (I hope), so treat the girl with kindness & respect. They’ll like that.
 
AllSeasons said:
I will be meeting her parents for the first time in the near future. I’ve never met any “parents” before, so any advice you may have for me would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.
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Don’t put air quotes around “parents” when you say the word.

😉
 
Well, believe it or not, her parents are just people.

Behave in a way that you would wish your girl friend would behave if she were coming to your house to meet your parents.

And there are just as many different kinds of parents in the world as there are people. So, if by chance, you are confronted with controversial subjects, just try to keep neutral. You won’t be there to debate them. Say something like. “I never thought of it that way” if they make some comment you think is absurd.

But they probably won’t. They may be as nervous to meet you as you them. They’ll probably be just normal - boring people. Try to be interested in things that they say without introducing any controversial subjects.

And show respect to their daughter. They will notice how you treat her, how you talk to her. Be friendly, be polite and be happy.
 
I think the fact that you are even asking the question shows you for the gentleman you are! If you are concerned that means you will be careful to watch yourself during the encounter.
We were always very happy to meet our children’s dates, so I wouldn’t worry too much.
 
Don’t forget to let us know how it goes as well! It’s always interesting to hear about the first encounter with the parents! 😃
 
Shake her father’s hand firmly and look him in the eyes if you can. I didn’t do this the first few times I interacted with my wife’s dad and I’ve always regretted it because I think I gave him the impression that I was a wimp. 😛
 
I just think it would be really funny if one of the posters in this thread ends up being of the parents I will be meeting.
 
Just wanted to give a quick update on this one. I did meet the parents, and according to my girlfriend, it went over very well. She will be meeting my parents next month. Thank you all for the advice.
 
AllSeasons said:
Just wanted to give a quick update on this one. I did meet the parents, and according to my girlfriend, it went over very well. She will be meeting my parents next month. Thank you all for the advice.
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Good to hear. Congratulations!

We’ll be waiting for her thread on how to handle your parents;)
 
Peggy_in_Burien said:
When her father and mother walk into the room, STAND UP and greet them with a handshake.

That made more impression on my husband and I than anything else, when we met our son-in-law for the first time.😃
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Sorry for being picky and maybe it is because I come from a different culture. I agree that the young man should stand up upon an elder entering the room but I really disagree that he should greet them with a handshake. The senior person should be the one to offer the handshake.
 
AllSeasons said:
Just wanted to give a quick update on this one. I did meet the parents, and according to my girlfriend, it went over very well. She will be meeting my parents next month. Thank you all for the advice.
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Good for you! Now the worst is over. You KNOW your parents are going to love your girlfriend. Afterall, if you love her so much, they will see her good qualities, too.

I absolutely love my SIL. I think he is the gem of all gems, and I thought so from the time I first met him. They will be celebrating their 10th anniversary this year, with all four kiddoes, and they will be together for once, since he will be between deployments this year.

He’s the one who stood up to greet my husband and I when he was formally introduced to us.
 
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