When Should My Girlfriend Meet My Parents?

If you’re young and living at home, you should introduce a new girl to your parents right away. If you are older and your parents live two time zones away, you should wait until you’re in a committed relationship or living together.

Let’s suppose that you are either living with your parents or they live in the same town as you. There are probably a lot of times that you swing by for some reason — to borrow dad’s golf clubs or to help mom set up the deck furniture in the spring. Whatever it might be, they are always dying to know any little detail about your life, since you never tell them anything.

Bring your new gal by for a brief meet and greet, even if your relationship is not yet “official.” Your parents will see your great taste in women and have a moment of incredible joy at your thoughtfulness. Don’t stay long — just take care of your business and be on your way.

This casual drop-in will preempt that sense of dread and impending doom that your girl is likely to feel if she never meets them until you bring her there for dinner or to a family gathering. She will know your folks are just regular, friendly people, and the ice will be broken for the bigger event in the future.

You should have a “real” get-together with your parents, and hers too, when you’ve been calling her your girlfriend for a few weeks. If you’ve met her parents, it’s time for her to meet yours. If she is nervous about it, that’s a good time to use the mini flyby to help her settle down.