It’s almost holiday season, so that means you need to start getting your list and plans together. If those plans include bringing someone you’re dating home for the first time, then you might need to prepare for all of the awkward things that might (OK, probably will) happen. Single ladies, be happy that you’re single for now! Bringing someone home is a great way to celebrate the holidays and get your family to know them, but it’s also prime time for some weirdness:
- Trying to navigate different family traditions. Chances are that your families don’t do everything the same way, so you might need to explain some of your more obscure traditions to them. It’ll probably take some getting used to, and you might feel a little bad that they won’t get to take part in their own traditions, but it’s all about taking turns!
- Dealing with your family’s intense political discussions. Most people know not to bring up controversial things around company, but if your family gets comfortable enough, this might happen anyway. It sucks, but it’s better to deescalate the situation by trying to change subjects.
- Potentially sleeping over for the first time. If you’re traveling a long way, then it makes sense to sleep over. If you’re at the stage of bringing him home for the holidays, you’ve probably already spent the night together… but not under your parents’ roof and in your childhood bedroom. Yikes!
- Having different taste in food or food allergies. A lot of families have a habit of making the same thing for the holidays, so if your man follows any kind of special diet or is just plain picky, this could get weird. Mention any food allergies ahead of time so that your parents (or whoever is preparing the food) know. Your boyfriend should also be prepared to branch out in terms of his culinary tastes for the occasion, as well.
- Someone bringing up your ex. If you’ve brought someone else home before but broke up, then there’s a chance someone will bring your ex up. It could be a distant cousin or an older aunt who has no idea what you’re up to on a day-to-day basis, so it’s totally innocent. Either way, you should be prepared to change the subject and introduce your great new guy.
- Your family bringing up embarrassing childhood stories. Unless you’ve won the lottery, then you probably have a family that loves embarrassing you. This will include many silly stories and embarrassing pictures from your awkward days. You might hate it, but it’ll probably put your guy at ease, and it’s a good sign that things are going well.
- Showing your weird childhood room. It is kind of cool to have your childhood room intact so you can look back on your old things when you visit. But bringing someone else to it means they get to see all of the weird stuff you were into when you were little. It could be awkward, but also really fun to see how different and how similar you were back then.
- Having him buy presents for people he hasn’t met yet. When visiting anyone’s family for the holidays, people generally say thanks for the invite by giving a gift. Gift shopping is already pretty tough for someone you know, let alone strangers you’re meeting for the first time. Hopefully you can give some good advice to your partner, but it can still be weird.
- Explaining your family’s inside jokes to your partner. Just like friends, you have inside jokes with your family, as well. He’s already an outsider, so if your family has a lot of them, then it could make him feel even more out of the loop. It’s better to explain them so he’ll know for the future, but maybe you could ask your family to keep the weird jokes to a minimum this year.
- Family members asking if you’ll get married any time soon. Bringing someone to meet the family could be a sign that things are getting serious, so the question might come up. Although they probably have the best intentions, it’s definitely putting you on the spot. Prepare to come up with your answer just in case.
- Someone constantly asking, “What do you do?” This is another question the asker might see as an innocent question, but the guy on the receiving end knows it’s just a way to size him up. If your new love isn’t totally comfortable with his career yet or is still in a transitional period, he might feel really uncomfortable having to explain himself.
- Watching your family and friends not act like their normal selves. Your boyfriend might not be the only one who’s nervous about the visit! You might notice your family acting weird because a stranger is coming into the equation. Hopefully, the more time they’re together, the more comfortable everyone will get with each other.
