Meeting the parents � horror stories

[jeanette1976]

I'm meeting my new BF parent's this weekend and I'm absolutely dreading it�

They invited me to their dad's birthday dinner down in Manchester but I reckon it's just an excuse to have a good butcher's at their son's new GF, 6 years his senior at 30. The pressure's on as they hated his ex and his mum is a vicar's daughter and I'm pretty much expecting the Spanish Inquisition as it looks as though he's bigged me up somewhat.

I'm really scared that I may say something silly or fart at the dinner table or something horrendous�.

What's the most embarrassing thing that's happened to you the first time you met your partner's parents and how did you get out of it?

Wish me luck, GULP!!!!! x

[oopsydoopsy]

Oh, Jeanette, I sympathise with you - hate going to my hubbys parents even now - and we've been married for years. I'm still looked down on - because I usually speak my mind. They have a habit of quoting all their ailments from a family medical book - they know all the doses of antibiotics, anticoagulants,everything....nightmare.Especially since I am in the profession !
I don't envy you one bit but I wish you all the luck (and fun) in the world.
So what if you are 6 years his senior - my hubby was in the year below me at school - he won't have 'bigged you up', he will have enthused to them about how he feels for you, I am sure.

[nat_84]

I was fine with meeting my boyfriends family, but then i went to Cardiff to stay at his nans.... she's very religious, very "saver/user friendly". First time i had met her so i though i'd do the kind thing and offer to help make a cuppa tea...

First she required only half a tea bag e.g. a shared or used one.

Then OH MY GOSH, when she saw me pour the bloody milk in to a mug

"I hope that one's not mine!!".

..i was like "oh f***".

I was like "yeeeaaahh it is".

She was like "i'm not having that!"...

Then i think since that moment she thought i was a stupid, wasteful b**** and kinda went off me....:o(

When my boyfriends mum broke the news that "Natalie and Karl are having a baby"...she was adament she hadn't met me....Glad i made such a lasting impression :o(

[nat_84]

Oh and jeanette you'll be fine - just be yourself and if they don't like it they can bloody well lump it!

Good Luck xxxx

[oopsydoopsy]

Well said, nat. Yeah ...be yourself !
One thing - don't fall over the doormat into the awaiting family gathering in the hallway. First impressions last !!

[nat_84]

lmao oopsydoopsy - is that why u have that user name? lol.

[oopsydoopsy]

possibly nat !
not a lot goes right at the moment !!

[spk]

If he has bigged you up jeanette at least you know he really likes you ! Just be yourself, and the fact that you arent his ex will give you huge kudos with his parents already if they hated her ! Good luck hope it goes well, dont drink too much ! x

[naz_nomad]

Don't get drunk ...but more importantly, don't arrive drunk.

[oopsydoopsy]

Oh guys, where's your sense of FUN !!

[Lady Muck]

Don't ask about any photos in frames lying around the house.... it's not the best form to ask who the bloke in the turban is and be told it's the mothers grandmother... just don't do it.

Don't fall asleep cause the living room is too warm and the conversation is boring.

Don't talk religion as if someone says something about believing withches brought down a plane the phrase ' you don't <insert swear word > believe that do you?' can cause offence (especially when said in an incredulous voice).

Don't mention that you once had a life before you met their son.

When said son assures his parents that he is still going to church/hardly drinks/does not smoke/ agrees that he'd never have a one night stand and that the yoof of today are horrid do not burst in to a fit of giggles and have to leave the room with a 'coughing fit.'

Do not 'explore' the bathroom cabinet... there is going to be nothing in there you want to know.

Do not get snotted on by a horse when going for a walk after lunch and proclaim loudly 'I'm actually glad you'll be turned in to glue soon.' Especially if you do not know the ownership of said horse.

Do not describe the decor of the living room as 'lovely, very brown' even if it is... your bloke will kick you hard under the dinner table.

Follow those rules and you'll be fine.

(And yes, I did all that in one visit tho not sure if that is the correct order).

[jeanette1976]

Hahahahahha! Great answers!!!!! And I totally forgot about the DRUNK bit.... that's a HUGE NO NO!!!!!

Thanks for reminding me!!!!!!!!! X

[Kelly Jo]

The first time my Dad meet my boyfriend he went to shake his hand and then put his thumb on his nose and made a funny face I felt so sorry for my poor boyfriend Pete. This however was only the start he then proceeded to ask him if he had slept with his first born! This was sharply followed by my 6ft 4 uncle asking Pete what his intentions are towards me. Oh yes don't let me forget the bit about my Dad putting his false tooth in Petes Beer! I was totally mortified had a go at my Dad and ended up leaving shortly after. I don't know how but some how were still together.

[Eve]

The first time I met my exes parents they didn't actually know I was coming to stay for the weekend which I felt very uncomfortable about, was a bit daunting as he's the youngest of 5 so a standard just family gathering was 12 of us with partners and such. It went ok though but there were some other "amusing" moments. The first meeting went ok though.

Remember being caught reading the Sun (shock horror) by mummy (yes, they all still called them mummy and daddy) by his very upper class mother who exclaimed she had never seen that "red rag" in her house and hoped her Christopher didn't read it". Was tempted to say he just looked at the pictures but restrained myself!

There were other incidents of general family discussions about how people who attended comprehensive schools were stupid and couldn't read or write and slagging off the welsh so it was "interesting" when it was revealed I not only went to the local comp but that most of my family are welsh.

His father used to call be by his exes name as well sometimes by mistake. I was never that bothered but the family and him were always horrified lol.

[Athley]

First time Mr Athley met my parents he had travelled down from London on the train to Wales. He spent the whole journey in the buffet car with a guy he met on the train - drinking!!! He was soooo nervous as we are a mixed race couple and my parents had refused to have him in the house for the first 3 months we were together!! He arrived totally trollied and then sat right in the middle of my parents living room on one of the dining chairs and talked non stop for hours. It was really embarrassing but really did break the ice as they felt sorry for him that he'd had to get so hammered to meet them.

That was 20 years ago and needless to say we are a very happy family and have been for years.

:o)

[Athley]

lol Just read what naz put - shame you didn't give my husband that advice 20 years ago!!!

:o)

[WendyS]

Cheer up jeanette - if he's very keen on you it won't matter what they think. When my husband first took me home to meet his parents, (I'm three years older than him), his mother quickly beckoned him away into the kitchen and hissed into his ear ("She's a bit older than you, isn't she ??") I'd just had a particularly gruelling & stressful week at work involving very late night working and was admittedly not looking my best. As we're still married 40 years later, his mother's comments thankfully didn't make much impact.

[sarnieken]

The first time I met my 'now-ex's' Parents, it was Christmas eve and I'd been invited to spend the holidays with them.

The week went like this......

* I proceeded to have a drunken argument with her best friend over the fact that my gf had brought a 'stranger' to their annual Christmas Eve pub gathering.

* A small family relative managed to trip up over my walking boots that had been left where I'd been told to put them. The poor little tyke almost broke his nose and I got a bit of an evil look from his ma.

* GF's mum walked in on us in what I can only describe as a compromising situation. Lets just say that any misconceptions that she was a virgin were quickly dispelled.

* I made a comment about the poor Build quality of BL and Rover cars and guess where her dad had recently retired from and what car they drove! Yep, Longbridge and there's a Rover 25 in the garage.

I think if I'd walked in naked and brandishing an axe in one hand and a severed goat's head in the other it would have worked out better.
However, they took a shine to me and were really gutted apparently when we broke up.
Just be yourself and remember these handy phrases...

'Oh, that's just beautiful, it must have cost a fortune'.
'Sprouts, oh I love them and want them more than anything in the world'
'Sex? what is that?'
'My intentions for your first born are to treat them with the utmost respect and not try to persuade them to do that thing I read about in FHM on your coffee table'
'Really? I didn't know that haemorroids could grow to that size, yes I'd like to see them'.
Ok , the last one wasn't true but you get the picture.

[joby1]

the first time I met my mother and father inlaw, I was in hospital having just given birth to their grandson, it was a tidgey bit tense !! lol

that was 20 years ago now, and we get on fine surprisingly .

[jeanette1976]

Hahahahaha, I feel so much better now.... thanks again all!!!! X

[carrust]

A friend of mine had a heavy cold then he met his g/f's parents. He started coughing & a lump of phlegm shot out of his throat & landed on the coffee table. There was an embarrassed silence before he cleared it up with a tissue. He went to the toilet to 'sort himself out', washed his hands,& the top of the tap came-off in his hand, flooding the bathroom. Surprisingly, he was never asked back again
This is still mentioned in dispatches 30 years on, much to his embarrassment.