Dear Male Delivery,
What do I need to know when meeting the family of my boyfriend?
There is always this point in a relationship when your beau decides to show you off to the ones who love him the most. Believe it or not, but this is quite a big litmus test of approval for you. Your man wants to see if mom, pop and the boys (or girls) like you and may be in the running for loving you.
Naturally, you get nervous because you want that stamp of support, so let me break it down for you.
Meeting the parents does not beget you to put on a front or switch from one person to another. Furthermore, if you need to readjust your attitude and your actions for your elders, there seems to be a little bit of immaturity in you that needs to be dealt with if you are pursuing a serious relationship. The last person you should seek to be is the girlfriend on that terrible (yet entertaining) MTV show “Parental Control.” Do not come in with the attitude that YOU are in control of everything. Act like a lady and enjoy yourself.
Also, do not pass up on the opportunity to learn from the guy. How he treats his parents (specifically mom) is how he will treat you later down the road. Hopefully, his treatment will be nothing less than an ample amount of respect.
For the siblings, it can be awkward. Did I say it “can be” awkward? It will be awkward. Be cool. If they are younger, take an interest in the things they like and bond with them! If they are older, act your age and create conversation. Seriously, it shouldn’t be hard unless you have about 7 sisters to impress. Watch out for the sisters. They can be brutal, but if they like you, you are golden.
Now, for the hard part, mom.
I firmly believe (even though it is a hard concept to understand for many) that mom should be the number #1 lady in a man’s life until he is married. As you can tell, I am a mama’s boy, but that is beside the point. Ladies, you must understand this whether you like it or not. If, by chance, you and the mom don’t mesh really well, do not think that pulling him away will be a good idea. It will make things worse and you end up being the family wrecker. Treat her with the utmost respect and compassion for she knows a lot about her boy (even more than you). Don’t challenge that idea because you didn’t raise him. Moms need to know that her boy is not going to have his heart ripped out by a she-devil. If you can convince her that you are not that, you will be fine. Sounds easy, right? That’s because it is.
Families can be intimidating, but, please, know that it so easy to be a good girlfriend even in front of the family.
Sincerely
Your RLCG,
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