Need advice on meeting girlfriend's parents.

by a desperate lawyer

My girlfriend is pretty serious about dating me and I like her a lot and she wants me to meet her family.

She comes from a big close family and my family's kinda dysfunctional.. All her family's gonna be there and its gonna be a grill out. I want to know what I can do to make her family really like me.

I just wanna say I have a good job im a Lawyer and am very clean cut do you have any advice on what to do to loosen up, reassure her father im fit to take care of her, and get along with her older brothers.




Answer:

Meeting a girlfriend's family for the first time is like going on a first date with 5 people all at once... But, don't sweat it.

The most important thing to get across, is that you are right for their daughter. So, be affectionate (not too affectionate though), considerate, etc... parents want to see that their daughter will be happy.

You have a good job, etc... so you shouldn't worry about proving that you'll be able to provide for her. They know that already. Focus on fitting in with the family as a whole. Here are some general tips:

Firm handshake
Assume a report with the family...
Ask questions about what your girlfriend was like when she was younger. They'll like that.
Be prepared to answer questions about your past and future goals.
Look good.
Consider a gift for the hosts... A bottle of wine, flowers, etc...

Most important though: Learn as much as you can about the family before hand. Is her dad a military man? Aging hippie? The more you know, the better prepared you'll be.

Don't act freaked out though. After all, it's a grill out. Have some fun. Have a few drinks. Joke around once you are comfortable. Ask a lot of questions. You'll do great.

Good luck, sorry this answer is so rambling.


Editor, CDI