Romantic partnerships are a framework within which you have to make increasingly stressful decisions with another person: buying a car, planning a wedding, having children, opening a credit card, etc. To soften the edges, of course, you get fun sex and splitting food. But one of the more stressful decisions you and your partner can make is if and/or when your parents will meet. There’s a whole focking movie about it!
There are many things to consider when introducing the two parties. Where do they fall politically with respect to one another—is that a topic to bond them or guarantee they will be sat at separate tables at future weddings? How amenable are they to meeting new people, generally? And perhaps most importantly: What do you and your partner want from the encounter? Life long in-law besties or simple acknowledgement by all parties that the others exist?
There are plenty of good reasons for parents to meet and about a million more for them to not. But if you decide that the people who are responsible for your attachment styles should spend time with one another and are worried about what on earth they’ll do—besides talk about their unequivocal obsession with you and your partner—I’ve assembled a list. Go forth, good luck, etc.
