Just the thought of it is as heart wracking as it is exciting! It should be an indication that you have chosen her as the one you desire to spend the rest of your life with. These are also the next serious steps you are taking as you continue with your quest into marriage-hood, with victory as the only acceptable result on your mind.
In all this, in spite of the mounting pressure and rising anticipation, there is a possibility for this meeting going smooth, as well as being delightful as opposed to the dread that such a meeting may come branded with. Friends who have gone before you have probably shared their, not so great experiences and this can instill fear. Needless to say, your story doesn’t have to be dreadful, in fact we are piecing a few tips to help you have a better experience. This, however, should not be taken as a magic wand to ward off all glitches or calm your nerves, it just helps to make things get started. So here we go!
Your partner knows her parents very well to understand what makes them happy or not. In which case get some basic do’s and don’ts so that you are safe; the idea after all is to present yourself as the perfect fit for their daughter and what better way than to show that you already understand what makes them happy. And this does not need to come out in obvious ways, verbally. It is the time to shine with subtle meaningful nonverbal gestures, to drive the point home.
Simply said is that you should not try putting up a show no matter how badly you want to impress your future in-laws. You can go the extra mile but within the confines of who you truly are; lest you forget your act and blow up your cover. The whole point to this is to be as authentic as possible, as you try to impress your hosts. Remember they too want to make a good impression on you as they balance it with assessing your eligibility as a future son in-law.
Do not be tempted to say something that is untrue as the stakes are high. You may just forget something and one day, after the wedding and two children, you blow your own cover. You can be sure this will send everyone in a panic mode. So no matter how badly you want to impress, please stay HONEST.!
You never know how far your nerves can take you in such a situation. You may break into doing a biography before your host/s thinking that it is the merit for their acceptance of you. Well, it could work in some cases, but can also backfire in others. You certainly do want it to be the latter case for you; safest way is that as you talk about yourself, please have the story centered around your wife of choice. Remember that for the time you are there, she is the subject matter in the home. Loop her name in even as you share your own achievements, whether to say she supports you and ways in which you would support her in her own interests and so forth. All this should also be through a smooth conversation not as in a Q&A segment.
Have we mentioned this before? Probably not but definitely an important tip; let the conversations be light and your body language should accompany this. There are some postures that could sell you out as nervous, stressed or uncomfortable. If your aim is to join this family, you might as well be a little relaxed. You can make light humor that is not disrespectful just to break the ice as well as smoothen the conversation.
It is easy for your partner to tip you off on what her mum or dad likes so that you can pick out gifts that appeal to them to appease them. I have recently seen and appreciated a certain Asian culture where special Teas that boost the health of the elderly, and even supplements, are often presented as part of gifts to future in-laws by the groom himself. They often accompany this with a ‘red envelope’ which carries cash. Please consider this as an idea but point is, when you come bearing gifts it may just lighten the moment and make everything a little easier.