Meet The Parents

By Kaylyn Smith

For many college students, the holiday season is a great time to bring their new significant other home. But it comes with considerable stress.

This was the case for nursing student Heather Valentine, who only gets to go home during holiday breaks because she has to study most weekends.

Google searches for “meet the parents” peak around the holidays. Image from Google Trends.

“I am very nervous about bringing him home because my family is very protective, and they want the best for me,” Valentine said of her significant other.

Valentine said she wouldn’t have been as nervous if she could have brought him home before Thanksgiving because there will be a lot of family there to meet him for the first time.

Haley Lujan went to Dallas for the first time over Christmas break last year to meet her boyfriend’s family.

“I think it is best if you go into it relaxed,” Lujan said. “That wasn’t the case for me because I had been in the car for five hours and looked like a sweaty grim reaper.”

Everything worked out for her and her boyfriend, and they have been together for over a year now.

“If you are true to yourself, you might realize that they are just as crazy as you are,” Lujan said.

Watch this video for more advice on how to get over the nervousness of introducing a new boyfriend or girlfriend to the family.