Bringing home your girlfriend to finally meet your parents doesn’t have to be a nerve wrecking experience. Most parents aren’t bent on embarrassing you when your lady comes to visit. Believe it or not, they probably want to make a good impression as well. However, you have to remember that while you might be in a comfortable place (your childhood home), your girlfriend is not only trying to make a good impression, but she’s totally out of her comfort zone.

As a good boyfriend, this is where you come in. It is critical that you play the balance card well. Not too much attention and not too little. Balance it between mum and girlfriend. I’m guessing that at this point (bringing her home to meet the parents) you’re planning to take things to the next level. Most girls tend to assume that meeting the parents is a cue to taking things to the next level, so if you’re not serious, I’d say don’t bring her home – or let her know that this isn’t what she might think it is.

Don’t assume that they’ll all just ‘get along’
There is nothing more annoying than a guy thinking that just because his mum and girl and women, they’re going to get along for sure. Your lady needs your support, even if she seems like she’s having fun.

Don’t leave her alone the whole time
While you might be tempted to just veg out in front of the TV with your dad and watch the game and hope that your mum and girl get along by themselves, don’t do this. It’s ok to mingle and chat with others, but you guys are a team, act like a team. Don’t leave her alone the whole time to fend for herself. This isn’t her family. These are strangers she’s just meeting.

Compliment her
She can’t brag about herself, but you can. No need to brag about her the whole night but a few compliments like, “Sarah here just got promoted to Senior Manager at work” or “Michelle works with disabled kids” will allow your parents to learn what an awesome gal you’re dating.

Clue her in
What might seem like normal ‘dad’ behavior might come across as weird to strangers, so clue her in on what to expect, what topics to stay away from etc. If there are any inside family jokes, make sure you try your best to include or explain to her what’s happening.

There is no point in bringing her home to meet the parents if you’re not going to help facilitate a smooth introduction. Make sure the two of you communicate with each other throughout and are there to support each other. Let us know how it goes!