5 Tips for Thanksgiving Dinner with your Significant Other's Family

[xoxobean]

If this is your first Thanksgiving holiday with your significant other's family, it can be pretty intimidating. Especially if you haven't met all of their family members yet. Here are some tips to make the night a little bit easier :)

1. Dress nicely

A lot of people stress about their appearance when it comes to meeting their significant other's family for the first time. It's important to remember to dress for the atmosphere you're going to be in. The way you might dress for the annual family football game is probably different than the way you would dress for an elegant family dinner. It's important to talk to your date about what other family members typically wear and when all else fails, men typically can't go wrong with a collared shirt or sweater. Similarly, women are nearly always safe with a nice, conservative blouse and natural makeup.

2. Be punctual

Don't arrive half an hour early, Thanksgiving is stressful for the host with all that cooking and preparing, having someone arrive too early can be more stressful. However, don't be late either. Arriving on time sets a good first impression.

3. Offer to help

Offer to make a side dish to prepare for the dinner. Or, on the night of the dinner, ask your signifiant other's family if there's anything you can do to help. Even if you hate preparing a table, cleaning up, or washing dishes, it's a gesture of thoughtfulness and they will appreciate your efforts to contribute.

4. Do your homework

Debrief each other on names, relationships, and topics to avoid. Who will be there? What are they like? Are they religious? Political? It's a good idea to get an sense of family dynamics beforehand. First impressions go a long way. If your date hasn't offered up good conversation ideas, ask for them and be sure to find out if there are any unusual topics you should avoid. Other than that, be yourself and try to relax.

5. Drink responsibly

It's the holidays, but that doesn't mean you should get drunk at your significant other's family dinner. No matter how drunk a few of their relatives may be (and they may indeed be) it is never safe or smart for you to overindulge with holiday spirits, especially if it's your first time meeting their family. You want to make a good impression.

Overall, don't forget to be thankful to your girlfriend or boyfriend. This is Thanksgiving, after all, so don't forget to show your appreciation for your one and only. Whether you're grateful he's coming home with you to meet your family or you're thankful she's putting up with all the football on TV, tell your significant other often how much you appreciate him or her this Thanksgiving. It's one of those things people really can't hear enough.

[BearyCute]

I think another one is to NOT over eat. Take just a moderate amount of food or else you'll look unappealing to your significant one's family.

[lePoivre]

The conversations part would be a lot easier if your significant other's family didn't all speak another language lol.

[Omar5881]

A small suggestion why don't the both families dine together it would be great don't u think?

[samhradh_leannan]

That's a nice idea that would work in some situations. But keep in mind that extended families can be really large as it is. Thanksgiving is traditionally a time for family and close friends, and your parents may not want to give up spending the holiday with their loved ones in favor of spending it with an unfamiliar family who they may not even get along with and who probably have their own extended families that they would prefer to spend the holiday with.

It's nice for a couple to introduce their families and give them a chance to get to know each other, but another time is probably more suitable. I would suggest choosing a regular night and having a dinner focused specifically on the meeting of the two families, where there aren't the additional stresses that come with Thanksgiving or the competing interest of wanting to spend the holiday with your own extended family.