Has anyone been to the drugstore recently? I just went yesterday and there was already some Christmas stuff up. I was floored! I’m Christmas’s Biggest Jewish Fan (It’s an official title!) but come on, CVS! Let me at least enjoy Halloween before you start up with Christmas. One holiday at a time, please! But, seeing all that red and green got me thinking about the holidays and all the fun and stress they bring with them. So, I thought I might as well start talking about some topics that can help ease the stress of holiday time. First up is meeting the parents and how to make sure they like you. Here we go!
Bring A Thoughtful Gift
Around the holidays, you hear the expression, “It’s the thought that counts,” a lot. While that’s true year round, it’s especially true when it comes to holiday gifting. Even if you’re meeting your man’s parents before or after the actual day of Christmas and there isn’t a gift exchange involved in the plans, bring a gift for them. It doesn’t have to be something big or fancy, but it should be something that you can explain the meaning of. For example, if your mom always makes a certain kind of jelly for the holidays, make her recipe and explain why this jelly is so important to you. Or, if you just went travelling somewhere, bring them a souvenir. A little token with a sweet explanation of where you got it, what it means to you or how it reflects you will go a long way in making a stellar first impression.
Tell Them You’re A Fan Of Their Work
And by “their work,” I mean their son. They put in years of time, effort, emotion and love into raising this fantastic man you’re dating. Everything you love (or like, depending where you are in the relationship) about him stems rom their hard work. Let them know how much their efforts have paid off by expressing just how amazing you find their son to be.
Be Affectionate With Your Partner
This is a tricky one. You need to feel out just how affectionate it’s appropriate to be in front of his parents. A quick chat with him about a plan followed up by checking in with their cues at the meeting should give you a good sense of what would be right and what would be way too much. I’m a fan of a back rub or cute glances at each other. I’d stay away from actual kissing or an amount of touching that will bring you into icky, over the top PDA levels. I know it’s a bit of a gray area that I’m telling you to walk into, but my point is to just make it clear how into their son you are.
Help Out
If you’re going over to their house for a meal, clear the table and help with the dishes. If you’re going out to dinner, offer to cover the costs. Pick them up and drive them to the meeting or offer to bring over a course of the meal or at least a bottle of wine. Small little gestures like this go a long, long way. Especially with parents!
Good luck with his parents and stay tuned for lots more holiday content to come! I’m so excited that the holidays are almost here! Any ideas for what I should write about?
