Parental Guidance

I just met my boyfriend’s parents and now he’s pressuring to meet mine. His parents were nothing short of amazing, and I know mine will not leave him feeling the same way. It’s not that they’re bad people, it’s just that they haven’t fully accepted that I’m gay and I’m not sure their reaction to meeting him will be positive and welcoming.

Have you explained this situation to your boyfriend? If not, you need to ASAP, and if you have you need to reiterate it, making sure he realizes that a parental meeting (or lack thereof) isn’t about him; it’s about your parents’ treatment of him. You’re wise to proceed with caution; it tells me how your priority is to protect him from an uncomfortable situation. What would be a good idea is to make sure your parents know of your boyfriend’s existence and how your relationship is leaving a positive mark on your life. Keeping your parents in the loop and letting them see your happiness will most likely lead to them initiating a meeting with the man who’s creating it.

I’m getting married in a few months (after a year of being together) and our parents have never met. We’re rather nervous about introducing them because they are polar opposites and we’re scared to death of a pre-wedding blow-up.

Two things you’re overlooking… one is that a day-of-the-wedding meeting is just bad form all the way around. It makes the day awkward for everyone, so having the meetup prior to the wedding is a must. The other is that they may be polar opposites, but they have one very important thing in common… their kids are marrying each other. This is a substantial building block on which to build a cordial, friendly relationship. If they walk away from the first meetup with civility and respect, you all win. Just do it- you’ll most likely be pleasantly surprised with the outcome.

My wife’s parents are coming for a visit, which luckily happens rarely. I’m dreading it because besides being couch potatoes they are totally rude and obnoxious to me. Is it wrong that I want to fake a business trip?

My very wise Grandmother once said, “You can get through anything during a long weekend- it’s just a blink.” That said, suck it up for the sake of your wife and leave the business travel for when it’s real.