Meeting the In-Laws~Tips & Ideas

11. Jul, 2010

If you haven’t met the soon to be In-laws, you know it will come before you know it. You may have excitement, you may be nervous, it all depends on what your fiance has shared with you about them. Maybe they will like you right away, maybe there will be reservation. Most of all they are watching you to see how you treat & interact with their son or daughter. Here are some simple tips that anyone can do.

Be Genuine~ Don’t say it if you don’t think it or feel it. Be courteous, respectful and have an interest in their family.

Be Yourself~ Don’t try to impress them, just be you & obviously their son or daughter liked you so why wouldn’t the parents like you. Show them who you are & what you like to do with their son or daughter. This way they can see what it is that made your love connection begin & give them assurance that you are here to stay & make a great marriage with their son or daughter.

Be Happy~ No one likes to be around others who are unhappy or always complaining. Think of all the positive & good things in your life & talk about those things.

Be Polite~ Use manners and be gracious & courteous. You may also want to bring something with you when you come, flowers, a box of treats, nice bottle of wine (be sure they drink wine before you bring it) maybe even something you made brownies or cookies.

Ask the Parents about them~ Everyone likes to talk about themselves. Ask his or her parents about themselves, what their interest are & what they do for a living. Find a common interest & talk about it. (Extra tip~talk with your fiance prior to your meeting the parents & find out a little more about them before you meet them, then you have a heads up and can think of things to talk about before hand). Be sure to show interest in them & their family.

Ask the Parents about your fiance~ This may embarrass your fiance a little bit, but parents also love talking about their kids. Ask them about their childhood,they may even get pictures out to show you.

Enjoy their company~ Enjoying their company may come easy, if it does- GREAT! That usually means that if you enjoy their company, they will enjoy yours. Ultimately that is the goal, for everyone to get along & enjoy being around one another.

Talk about you~ Don’t be afraid to talk about you & share information that will help them get to know who you are. You will soon be a part of their lives and a huge part of their son or daughters life. Let them get to know the real you.

Dress Appropriately~ You don’t want them to talk about what you were wearing after you left. Don’t not be yourself, but be respectful. You don’t need to bare it all on your first meeting. You aren’t trying to impress your fiance, you are here to meet the parents. Also, wear something that is appropriate for what you will be doing, whether it is a casual barbecue, or a dressier dinner. Ask you fiance what they are wearing & dress accordingly.

Send a thank you~ After your meeting it is a nice gesture to send a thank you. Be sure to let them know how nice it was to meet them & how you look forward to many more visits with them. They want to know that you are going to be part of their family not take their son or daughter away.

If all goes well, think of a time for your parents & your fiance’s parents to meet. That can be the true test.

We wish you all best of luck in getting the in-laws to love you like their own son or daughter!