Kudos to you for committing to a potentially nerve wracking few days away – this is a big step! Bonding with your partner’s family for an extended period of time can be amazing for your relationship. You’ll feel a lot more connected to each other afterward. Remember that vacations are meant to be fun! Don’t stress out, get prepared! Here are 5 tips to keep in mind.
Plan for some couple time. Make sure there’s a good chunk of couple one on one time on the itinerary. This will make sure that there are some times when the pressure is off you. It’s totally reasonable to expect this. After all, think about a family vacation – not everyone sticks together all the time. His parents will probably want alone time just as much as you and your guy do.
Be self sufficient. Make sure you have all the travel essentials so you feel little more in control of the situation. For example, make sure you know if you’ll be going out for a fancy dinner or to the theatre, so you can bring appropriate clothing. There’s nothing worse than feeling under or overdressed to add to your stress level. Do some research ahead of time to see where you’ll be staying and what kinds of activities you’ll be doing.
Be considerate. Sharing such close quarters with your man’s family is a much more intimate context than you’re used to. If you’re sharing a bathroom, be tidy and don’t hog it. If you’re sharing a kitchen, do dishes, buy milk when it runs out, etc. Put on your best roommate behavior. Be on time, too. This is a biggie. Making everyone wait around for you to straighten your hair in the morning is a pain. Hitting the family cottage or camping? Here are our low maintenance cottage bound beauty tips.
Relax! Of course you want to mind your Ps and Qs around the fam, but remember that they do want you to be comfortable, too. It’s not like his parents are dragging you on this trip because they want to see how you long you can demonstrate “perfect girlfriend” behaviour. A vacation is supposed to be fun and relaxing. Be talkative and be yourself! If you’re not feeling confident, check out our ideas for impressing his parents.
… but don’t relax too much. Ok, there’s a fine line here. Be perceptive to “what’s ok” with his family and don’t step beyond that. For example if everyone is drinking, then feel free to join. If not, don’t do it. If there’s a grey area somewhere and you’re feeling unsure where his parents stand on something, then pull your man aside and talk about it. It’s better to ask a stupid question than to make a stupid mistake.
