7 Ways to Survive the Holidays with His Parents

Spending the holidays with your own family can be hard enough, but your boyfriend’s can be worse! Here’s how you can easily survive the festivities with his folks.

What if I told you there is a way that would make going up against his overly-judgmental mom and over-the-top dad a LOT easier during the holiday season? I bet you would be quite interested.

The truth is, this time of year is hectic and stressful for a lot of people and adding in your SO’s parents… well, that just takes things to a whole new level. Luckily for you, I’ve been down this road a time or two and have the best tips to make your time with them not only tolerable, but even pleasant.

1. Prepare yourself for the onslaught.

Portrait of happy family with Christmas presents and shopping bags standing in stor

As horrible as an “onslaught” may sound, your visit with his family is probably not going to be as bad as you think. However, it is always wise to be prepared for anything. That doesn’t mean that you should get anxious about everything that could go wrong—just be aware that people are more tense than usual during the holidays.

They are probably just as stressed as you are and you should always be aware of that. Prepare for some tense moments, aggravated voices and even some passive aggressive comments. The key is to be in a mindset where you are prepared to take it all on with grace.

2. Arrive with gifts!

If there’s one thing around the holidays that can make anyone feel better and be more likely to welcome you with open arms, it’s presents! No matter who you are or how old you are, you’re going to love receiving gifts.

So, when you walk into his parent’s home, be the one carrying the presents. It’s a quick and easy way to ease the tension. Plus, who doesn’t love the person who is carrying the presents? You’ll be greeted with smiles all around and the gifts don’t have to be anything fancy either.

3. Bring booze.

Who doesn’t love free alcohol? Even his parents are going to be grateful for you bringing in the wine. Not only is it a great gift in itself, but everyone seems to relax a little bit after a couple glasses of wine.

It’ll make the trip easier for you and them. Although you should never rely on alcohol in order to relax and have a good time with his parents, a glass or two definitely doesn’t hurt anything!

4. Don’t get intoxicated.

Portrait of beautiful young woman covering face with Christmas present at store

Bringing wine and indulging in a few holiday-themed adult beverages is all fine and dandy until you down one too many and end up telling your boyfriend’s mother how much you actually hated the ugly scarf she got you. Woops!

That’s a quick way to get on her bad side and add some unwanted tension to the evening. As much as alcohol may make things easier and even more fun, limit your intake so you don’t end up making a fool of yourself.

5. Offer to help clean up.

I feel like this is just common courtesy when spending time and having a meal at anyone’s home, but it’s especially important when you’re with his family. After the meal is done, offer to help clean up the kitchen and get some dishes out of the way.

Not only does it relieve some of the tension his mom is feeling, but it gives you the opportunity to use that time and get to know his mom a little better. She’ll be extremely grateful for that!

6. Aim to learn something new.

I don’t mean that you should learn how to cut a pie properly. I mean that you should take the time to learn something new about each member of his family. If this is the first time you’re meeting them, it’s easy! Practically everything they tell you will be something new.

However, if you’ve been there once or twice, make the effort to really talk to his parents and learn something about them that you never knew before. This will open up so many doors to great conversation and it’ll show them that you actually want to know them, which makes them feel more comfortable to have you there.

7. Walk into it with a positive mind.

Happy family with shopping bags and presents embracing each other in Christmas store

There’s no way you can have a positive outcome if you walk in there dreading the entire day. Stop that! Strut your happy little booty into his parent’s house with positive thoughts only. Tell yourself you’re going to have a great time and I guarantee that you will.

Don’t expect to have a happy time when you’re being the Grinch. Don’t let the stress of the holidays get to you and cause your bad mood to disrupt an entire event. As they always say, “Don’t worry! Be Happy.”

Surviving the holidays with his parents IS possible. Put aside your angst and let the holiday spirit consume you. Have you put any of these survival methods to use? Let us know how it went for you!

About the author

Bella Pope

Just a small town gal fighting my way through this seemingly endless war called life. Writer. Reader. Guitar Player. Craft Enthusiast. Workout Junky. Wannabe Chef. My passion for helping others through words transcends any other aspect in my life.

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