Many women may feel stiff and nervous when visiting their boyfriend’s parents. However, if you are going to visit your boyfriend’s family, you want them to like you and you want to have a good time. So, what should you keep in mind when visiting your boyfriend’s parents’ home?
In this article, we will explain etiquette and how to make a good impression when you go to your boyfriend’s parent’s house to say hello.
What you should prepare before visiting your parents’ home
Souvenirs:
In Japan, it is the minimum etiquette for an adult to hand over a souvenir, so be sure to prepare one.
It is also a good idea to ask your boyfriend what kind of food his parents like and bring their favorite food as a gift. Note that you do not need to put a gift wrapper on the gift, but it will look better if you wrap it in a wrapping paper.
If you are not sure what to buy, cookies, chocolates, or other foods that will last for a long time and are individually wrapped are the safest choice.
Topic to discuss:
If you visit your boyfriend’s parents, you may have a chance to talk with them. Once you have decided to visit your boyfriend’s parents’ home, it is a good idea to prepare some topics for conversation with them.
If you can’t think of anything to talk about and make your boyfriend’s parents feel uncomfortable, you will not make a good impression. Therefore, it is a good idea to have a few topics in mind, and have a grasp of ideas such as topics about your boyfriend’s childhood or topics related to his parents’ hobbies and favorite things.
Showing Manners in the boyfriend’s house is a notion of respect:
Flirting with your boyfriend in front of his family can be disrespectful and it’s one thing you should not do when you go to your boyfriend’s parents’ house. The first thing you do to greet them politely is to make out or impress that you are a good partner to your boyfriend in front of his family. It takes a lot of courage to make out with your boyfriend in front of his parents, and most parents will have mixed feelings if they see you doing so. You must be discerning in your actions as well as how you talk. In line with that, would be calling your boyfriend by his name or nickname in front of his parents is not a good idea.
Leave the meal you are served
If you go to your boyfriend’s parent’s house to say hello and his mother serves you food, it is not acceptable to leave it behind. This will be regarded as disrespectful to your boyfriend’s parents.
If your own son’s girlfriend is coming to stay at your house, your boyfriend’s mother may try her best to entertain you by cooking more enthusiastically than usual or preparing a sumptuous sushi dish.
Therefore, try to finish the meal served to you as much as possible without leaving any leftovers. You may also be served a dish that contains a portion of food you dislike at that time. Even so, it would be rude to blatantly leave the food untouched.
If you cannot finish the food, say with a smile, “I am full,” or “Thank you for the food,” and leave it.
Be courteous to your boyfriend’s brother/s and sister/s
If your boyfriend’s siblings live in his parents’ home, be courteous to them when you see them. If you decide to stay at your boyfriend’s parent’s house, ask your boyfriend to tell them in advance that you will be staying there, just as you would with your parents or grandparents.
If you do not tell him in advance, he may be surprised that his sibling’s girlfriend is suddenly coming to stay at your house, and it will make things awkward for both of you. Also, while siblings may be franker with you than with your parents or grandparents
Be sure to treat your brothers and sisters with courtesy and not rudeness.
If you are too frank, you may make your boyfriend feel uncomfortable, and your parents may think you are not being polite.
Properly care for pets
If your boyfriend has a pet such as a dog or a cat at home, you should take good care of it because it is an important member of the family. However, if you are not fond of animals or are allergic to animals, you need to let your boyfriend know this beforehand.
If you tell your boyfriend at his parent’s house that you are not good with animals, or if you act in a manner that is overtly disapproving, you will give a bad impression to your parents and siblings.
No matter how much you dislike animals, try to avoid contact with pets by saying “they are cute” without making a disgusted face, or if you are allergic to animals, be considerate of your words and say “I am sorry I cannot hold them because of my allergy.”
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