Meeting your significant other’s parents for the first time can be pretty scary. After all, you only have one chance to make a good first impression. I certainly was nervous when I met my boyfriend’s parents for the first time, mainly because I was fourteen. I come from a small town where everyone knows of everyone, but the first time I officially met his parents was still nerve-racking. Introductions go a little differently when you’re in high school. There isn’t a special sit down dinner where you talk about your achievements and politics while wearing your most conservative dress. When I was a freshman in highschool, my greatest achievement to speak of was making the varsity soccer team. Things move faster too; I didn’t have the luxury of really getting to know him before I met his parents because I met them after our first date.
We were just leaving Red Robin after an evening of getting to know each other over some bacon cheeseburgers. We were having such a good time that he suggested we go back and hang out at his house. When we got their, his parents greeted us cheerfully from the living room. After chatting about how freshmen year was going, they suggested we watch a DVD they had just bought. On their recommendation, we popped in “Tommy” and settled in to watch.
If you haven’t heard of the movie “Tommy,” here’s a quick run down. It’s a rock opera by The Who, and the entire movie is done in song. This psychedelic 1970’s musical depicts the life of Tommy, who became deaf, dumb and blind after witnessing his new stepfather kill his dad. It is, without a doubt, the weirdest movie I have ever seen.
My meeting with his parents that night was brief, and the movie was clearly a disaster… but the date was not. That night, my soon-to-be boyfriend and I bonded over the ridiculous movie, and the next time I saw his parents, we all laughed about how silly it was. Fast forward five years to the present day and we still get a kick out of hearing “Pinball Wizard” by Elton John because it reminds us of that fateful night.
I may not have had a traditional “meet the parents” story, but I do have some advice for you collegiettes! Dating someone you met in college does tend to make the first meeting with his parents a more formal event. Manners go a long way, so be polite and ask them questions about their work or their hobbies. These are the most important people in your boyfriend’s life (other than you) so really try to get to know them! This is also the time for them to see who their son has been spending all his time with, so they want to get to know the real you. Show them what makes you special, whether it’s your sense of humor or your ability to hold a stimulating conversation. After all, you could someday be their daughter-in-law (yikes!) and they want you to feel comfortable with them.