Written by Caisi Calandra
It’s that time of year again! Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Ōmisoka — anything, really — the holidays are meant for recharging after a busy and stressful semester. A lot can change after the fall semester, especially if you’re a freshman.
Relationships between old friends change as you make new ones, hopefully, with the people you’re spending so much time with in classes (and at college in general). If you weren’t dating before you left high school, and you are now, you might be in for a surprise during the holidays with your newly acquired cuffee.
If you’re lucky enough to live in adjacent states (or in the same one), traveling to see each other over the month-long break might seem worth it. Even if you don’t live close, you might think a plane ride is necessary. Besides travel, the one thing that life doesn’t prepare you for is bringing your SO home for winter break to meet the fam.
One of the most important things to remember to address before bringing your SO back home for winter break are your fears and expectations. If your family is usually wack, which is unfortunate, then they’re probably going to continue to be wack during winter break, and thus make your winter break with your SO wack. If your family is supportive of you and prepared for your SO, they’re probably going to be fine.
You shouldn’t let your fears or expectations hold you back, though. If you’re fearful of a poor outcome, but you already figured it would happen, then you can’t control the way your family reacts to your SO. It sucks, but it doesn’t hurt to remember that you can’t control how others perceive you, and that goes for how they perceive everyone else, too.
The next important thing would be to remember to tell your SO how your family behaves, and vice versa. It’s kind of like when you wanted your mom to let one of your friends sleep over, and she had to know all the details before she even considered it. The same goes for the boy and/or girl your bringing home for the holidays. The more you let your family know about your SO, the more likely they’ll be ready to receive them.
Also, if you let your SO know who to talk to and who to avoid in your family over the holidays, it’ll make for a much, much smoother affair.
At the end of the day, though, bringing your SO home is like giant stress ball of a test. You shouldn’t have to deal with it, but if you think it’s time for the SO to meet your mom and pops, then it’s time! You might be able to see your SO in a new light (hopefully not a negative one), and you’ll probably get the 411 from your parents. Even if it’s negative, it all comes down to your love for your SO and vice versa. Remember, how your family perceives you and your SO is out of your control, so, with that in mind, try to enjoy the holidays to the best of your ability!
