So you’re going to spend this holiday vacation with your girlfriend’s family? That’s great! It’s the perfect opportunity for you to embarrass yourself and irretrievably damage your relationship with them.
Of course, if you’d like to impress them, perhaps you should check out our 10 Ways to Win Over Your Girlfriend’s Family.
10 Ways to Win Over Your Girlfriend’s Family
1. Buy Them Christmas Gifts
It’s weird how many guys make the mistake of not buying gifts for their girlfriend’s parents. It’s simple, people like it when you give them stuff. Don’t think they got anything for you? That makes it better. They’ll feel obligated to like you!
2. Be Yourself… Unless You’re a Jerk
Some of us are charming, shy or nice. If you’re one of those people, feel free to be yourself when you meet your girlfriend’s parents. Everybody else (bro’s, jerks and burnouts) choose one of the above types of people and pretend to be them.
3. Have a Spiel About Your Job Prepared
They’re going to ask, so you might as well have something prepared. And if you don’t have the greatest job, it doesn’t mean that you can’t spin it to your favor! Work as a record store clerk? Explain how music is your passion and that you’re planning to use the experience as a way to start your own business!
4. Compliment Them Profusely
As soon as you walk in the door, start complimenting somebody. Don’t be so obvious about it that it seems insincere (even if it is). Just remember that, when things get silent and awkward, a quick barrage of compliments will save you.
5. Do Your Homework
Does her brother have a police record? Did her sister accidentally kill a guy? Did her parents’ last house mysteriously burn down, leaving the entire family to split a hefty insurance check? You should know these things. Ask your girlfriend if there’s any weirdness that you should avoid in your conversations.
6. Drink with Them
This might be the most fun piece of advice that we give in this entire list, but it’s true. If you’re girlfriend’s family drinks, go ahead and drink up. This will make everything more lively and, if the family has any big issues floating underneath the surface, booze might just bring them up and take the focus off of you!
7. Let Them Win at Games
We don’t care if you’re the best Wii bowler who ever walked the face of the earth, when you’re playing against your girlfriend’s mom, you let her win. Don’t let her crush you, we don’t want you to look like an uncoordinated nerd, but do let her barely edge past you.
8. Don’t Root Against Their Football Team
As we all know, football is about as important to people as religion (and in some cases, way more important), so it would definitely be a faux pas to start laughing in your girlfriend’s sister’s face when the Niners grab a pick-six off of Ben Roethlisberger.
9. Ask for a Second Helping
Oh, that holiday food. The massive amounts of turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce. It can be so ridiculously amazing if it is prepared right. But, if you run into some bad cooking, remember that you should always take seconds. Your girlfriend’s family is looking for somebody who is polite, not on a diet.
10. Tell Them that You Look Forward to Coming Back Next Year
This one’s pretty self-explanatory: don’t seem like a creep who’s about to dump their daughter.