Tis the season for meeting the parents and family of your partner! Here are a few tips on how to survive your partners' family this holiday season. I've pulled a few rules of thumb from the following sources, Glamour, Madame Noire and She Knows. Make sure to click the links to view the full articles.
Quiz your partner about his/her family
Learn as much as you can about your partners family before you arrive for family dinner. This will help you be ready with questions to help keep the conversation flowing, as well as, prepare you for family dynamics. (Source: She Knows)
Be yourself
People can tell when you're being disingenuous, so don't pretend to be someone you're not. Let your personality shine, so the family can see why their loved one cares so much about you. They'll appreciate you being genuine. (Source: Madame Noire)
Don't be a clinger
"Allow your partner to navigate through the room without you hanging on his/her arm the entire time. You're an adult with a great personality! Try to show some interest in getting to know his family. Some family members are probably dying to get to know you." (Source: Madame Noire)
Make yourself useful
"One of the easiest ways to smooth over any awkwardness, or to make the time go faster, is to offer to help out. The more you're doing to help, the more your partners mom will enjoy having you there and the less out of place you'll feel." (Source: She Knows)
Don't get too chummy
"If you don't go into work on Monday morning and share with the president of your company that you lost your wallet and dignity over the weekend while tripping drunkenly out of a cab, then your significant other's parents probably don't need to hear it either. Having the kind of respect for yourself and for them to be honest while retaining the foresight to censor inappropriate miscellany will get you far in the family-dating game. They'll want to get to know you, but this isn't confession." (Source: Glamour)
Go with the flow
Any ideas you have about what the holidays should be like when you arrive to your significant other's parents home should be dropped. Families celebrate the holidays in many ways. "The more you let go and embrace his/her family (even if they are wackos, by your standards), the better time you'll have and the more his/her family will warm up to you." (Source: She Knows)
