As you read the three words, "meeting the parents," you probably already have that one memory of meeting a certain boyfriend/girlfriend's parent(s) that just went completely awful and trumps all other memories. That being said, parents come in all different shapes and sizes, and there are various parents out there that one may meet. This article is about three different types of parents that one is likely to meet in their life while in a relationship.
1. The Protective Parent
This is the parent that will start to assess your qualifications as a boyfriend/girlfriend almost immediately after meeting you. Think of this as a very harsh rating system that will assess all of the different things about you, which in most cases will only total to about 3.5 stars or less. 4 to 5 star ratings are almost impossible to get from these parents. They may also gather as much information as they can about you before they even meet you, sort of like a background check.
This information will come mostly from neighbors, teachers and family friends around town. In addition to this, they will be sure to inform you on what the rules for your relationship are. If they don't tell you, it's probably because they have their child trained as well as an FBI agent on the long list of guidelines of which they refer to as "parenting." Don't get me wrong, though. These people aren't heartless. If you get past their storm, they'll be sure to keep you from any rain in the future.
2. The Perfect Family Parent
This is the parent of a child's dreams. If you put them into the T.V. show Leave it to Beaver, you probably wouldn't even notice a difference. They are happy to be alive, happy to meet you, and just happy about pretty much anything. Most likely, their only qualifications for accepting you into the family is if you give good hugs and can say "I love you" and mean it. These parents don't need to do background checks to know if you're good enough because as long as you show potential for the future to fit the traditional family stereotype, you're in. On a positive note, if you're wanting to impress a political crowd, or the community church, they'd be an asset for sure.
3. The Wild Card Parent
This parent has no guidelines whatsoever. In fact, they probably have no lines at all, and if they did, they have definitely crossed them. Your boyfriend/girlfriend will probably use the common phrase, "that's just how they are," because there really is no actual explanation for why they are the way they are. There probably is no telling whether they love you or hate you because honestly, on most days it will be a roller coaster of both. When first meeting them, the first thing that comes out of their mouth will probably be something neither normal, nor expected. Basically, they most likely have a small to nonexistent filter, in which they will say whatever inappropriate or darkly humored thing that comes to their mind. However, while these parents are a little bit out there, they can be almost like really fun friends in the long run if they actually like you.
The parents you've met may not fit into any of these three categories. They may be a combination of all three, or something totally outside of these. What's your most unique meet the parent’s experience?
