According to data, it’s believed that you, the millenial, aren’t introducing your partner to your family until after ten weeks of dating. Yet, no matter when you plan on doing it, it’s incredibly anxiety-inducing. It’s like seeing this person for the first time through the eyes of highly critical ‘others’ that have your best interest at heart.
To try and limit the amount of anxiety and nervousness you experience, it’s crucial to ensure you’re making the right decision. Fortunately, numerous signs can point to whether introducing your SO (significant other) to your family is the right move. We’re going to share these signs so that you can be sure of your decision to open up the introductory can of worms.
Why Is It Uber Important to Introduce Your Partner to Your Family?
Now we don’t want to make you more nervous than you likely already are, but meeting your family is one of the most significant moments in your relationship. Your partner must meet your family because if they don’t, you could feel like you have not completed one of the biggest relationship milestones. Feeling this way could strain your relationship and make it difficult for you to progress romantically.
Additionally, if you don’t introduce your partner to your family, it could cause a rift between you and them – especially if you’re close to your family. Not only could you stop talking, but it could also lead to a huge rift that you might struggle to repair.
Moreover, introducing your SO to your family is important because it will allow you to share the big family moments with them and your loved ones. For example, you’ll all be able to celebrate birthdays and holidays together and make positive memories at family dinners and events.
So carefully consider if you want your SO to meet your family, and if you choose not to introduce them, question whether there’s a reason you’re holding back from this often critical moment.
What Are the 7 Signs That Indicate It’s Time for Your So to Meet Your Family?
We have shared seven signs to help you determine if it’s time for your SO to meet your family. These signs indicate that it’s likely time your partner meets the people closest to you.
Yet, if you’re only experiencing a few of these signs, it might be best to hold off on the meeting, but remember that every person and relationship is different.
At the end of the day, it will be up to your feelings and what you and your SO are comfortable with when it comes to deciding when it is the right moment to introduce them to the family.
1. You and Your Partner Are Mutually Exclusive
Are you both still seeing other people, or is your relationship more ‘open’ than it is closed for various reasons? Or are you both struggling to commit to one another and are still entertaining the idea of being with other people? If you’re both still entertaining other romantic relations, it might not be the right time for your partner to meet your family.
However, if you and your SO are mutually exclusive, consider introducing them to your family.
It’s time to start planning that introductory dinner soon.
2. Your Family Is Interested in Meeting Them
Your partner is likely more interested in making a good impression on your family than they are with them. If your parents and siblings are interested in meeting your SO, it could be a sign that they see them as a good influence on you and someone worthy of being in your life.
Moreover, remember to tell your partner that your family is interested in meeting them, as this could help quell their nerves and help them feel less pressure about making a bad first impression.
3. You’ve Decided You See a Future with Your Partner
We know you’re not simply going to wake up one day and instantaneously know your current SO is ‘the one.’ For most people, it takes time to get to know a romantic partner and to be able to decide if they see a future with them or not.
If you have taken the time you need and decide to see a future with your partner, it’s a sign you need to introduce them to your family sooner rather than later. One of the ways you’ll know if you start seeing a future with your partner is if you both start making plans that involve future endeavors like planning holidays and property purchases.
Additionally, if you have started thinking of yourself as an ‘us’ instead of an ‘I,’ you’re planning on having them in your life for a long time.
4. You Know Them Well Enough
If you don’t know your SO well enough, don’t introduce them to your family. The last thing you likely want is to be embarrassed, mortified, or feel unsafe at a family event with a partner who does something crazy you never saw coming. Not only will you never be able to live it down, but you’ll also likely be emotionally scarred or traumatized, which could affect your future relationships.
That’s why it’s best to only introduce your partner to your family if you know them well enough. One of the best ways to be sure you know them well enough is if you rarely fight.
Additionally, you could know someone well enough if you’re able to answer the things about them that others might not know, like how they like their coffee, what makes them uncomfortable in social situations, and their dislikes on various topics.
Moreover, waiting three to six months will help you resolve issues like jealousy, possessiveness, substance abuse, and a fear of commitment before your SO meets your family for the first time. Ultimately, if you know them well enough, your relationship will be stable enough to bring your family into the equation.
5. Your Partner Is Making a Real Effort
When your SO is making a real effort and showing their genuine desire to be a constant part of your life, it’s likely time to make the introduction. There are many ways they could demonstrate that they are romantically in it for the long haul, so be sure to take advantage of the signs. For example, a partner that is making an effort and worthy of meeting your family will:
- Help you move your friends into a new home.
- Help you resolve your baggage and face your fears.
- Go out of their way to fix something in your apartment.
- Make sure you eat and get home safely from events.
- Help you organize birthday dinners and office parties.
- Pitch in during emergencies and airport trips.
- Volunteer to go with you to doctor’s appointments and job interviews.
- Take care of you when you’re sick or have had a bad day at work.
A SO that does the above is the real deal and is a person who is ready to commit to you. After all, people don’t waste their time doing these things for people they don’t see a future with.
6. Your Friends Approve of Them
It’s not always possible to have every one of your friends approve of your partner. It’s also not always possible for a friend to come around and start liking them as they get to know your partner.
However, if you see a future with your SO and love them, you shouldn’t drop them because your friends disapprove. It is possible to keep your friends and your SO separate. It might not be fun, but it is sometimes necessary to enjoy the best of both worlds.
With that said, it’s a good idea to only introduce your partner to your family if they have met your friends first and they approve (not every friend needs to agree). This is especially true if you trust your friend’s opinion and have taken what they have said to heart in the past.
Sometimes we can be easily blinded by love and see things through rose-colored glasses. So keep your friend’s opinions in mind, as it’s likely that the issues they see in your family will too. Should they like your partner, take it as the blessing it is and begin plans to introduce your SO to your family as soon as possible.
7. You’re Excited about Introducing Your Partner to Them
If you don’t feel excited about introducing your partner to your friends, likely, it’s not the right time to introduce them to your family.
Usually, it’s normal to feel nervous about your partner meeting your family, but you should still feel excited about the idea. If the idea of them meeting fills you with dread, take it as a sign that your relationship might not last.
Should you feel a tinge of excitement and pride toward the idea of your SO meeting your family, it’s likely time to make the necessary introductions.
How Can a Partner Prepare to Meet Your Family?
The moment your partner meets your family is all about allowing them to build a relationship with the people you value the most. When you introduce your SO to your family, you invite them further into your life. Thus, you don’t want the introductory meeting to be a bad experience.
You might feel like it’s an almost impossible mission for your partner to meet your family without any issues arising. For some, this might be the case, but there are ways you can ensure the first meeting goes off without a hitch. Essentially, your partner needs to prepare to meet your family.
There are numerous ways you can ensure they’re prepared; we have given some helpful examples below.
- It would help if you conversed with your partner before letting them meet your family. During the conversation, ensure you’re both on the same page regarding why this is important. Additionally, conversing beforehand will allow you to share things your family might not like that they should avoid doing or bringing up.
- You must ensure your partner doesn’t feel that meeting your family is an interview. If they feel like they will be questioned the entire time, it could strain your relationship. However, you can help them prepare for questions you know your family will ask so that they’re prepared.
- You must tell them a bit about your parents and other family members they’re going to meet so they don’t feel entirely in the dark. This can be as simple as telling them about your family’s hobbies or places they hope to visit so they have conversation material. Yet don’t bombard them with information, as they will likely forget everything you say and have nothing to talk about when the meeting day rolls around.
- You must ensure they know a few nitty-gritty details to make an excellent first impression. For example, how to pronounce your family members’ names, dietary restrictions people might have, and clothing attire that might not be deemed appropriate.
If your SO follows this advice, the initial family meeting fiasco will likely take place with minimum drama.
Wrap-up on How You Know It’s Time for Your So to Meet Your Family
Hopefully, the signs we shared will help you know when it’s time for your SO to meet your family. If none of these signs are present in your relationship, it might be time to re-evaluate your partnership and what you want for your future. Just remember, it’s not the end of the world if things don’t work out, and there are many tools you can use to find a partner worthy of meeting your family.
