You've been seeing your girl for some time now. Suddenly she says she'd like to bring you home to meet her parents. Your heart skips about ten beats and you're ready to run for the nearest slow boat to China. Well, before you hit the panic button, meeting the parents doesn't have to be the scariest thing since Boris Karloff in Frankenstein. There are some things you can do to make the evening go well and win your future in-laws over with no problem at all.

Most likely, your gal is going to ask you to come over for dinner as this is probably the most common way to meet the parents. For starters, you really don't need to be worried because there is a good chance that before you even get there your gal has gotten on her hands and knees and begged her parents to be nice. After all, the last thing she wants is for her future husband to go screaming for the door after meeting her parents.

When you get to the house and enter, be cool. Don't show them your real personality as soon as you enter the door, especially if you're the loud and crazy type. You want to save this for much later in the relationship. Greet her father with a firm handshake and call him Sir. This is a sign of respect and will make an immediate impression on him. The mother and this is optional, take by the hand and say something like "pleased to meet you". You may or may not want to go as far as kissing her on the hand like the olden day gentlemen did. She may think you're a little weird and possibly put on.

Most likely they're going to ask you to sit and make yourself comfortable. After that, the questions will start pouring in, starting with the easy ones like, "how long have you been seeing my daughter?" and then progressing to the impossible ones like "what makes you think you're good enough for my daughter?" Answer each question honestly and as best as you can. For the good enough for daughter question an answer like "nobody on this planet is good enough for YOUR daughter" will really score points with them both.

When it comes time for dinner, make sure you pull out the seat for your date. Be a gentleman, even if you're not. At the table when asking for food to be passed always say may I and please. If you haven't learned manners at home, get some fast, otherwise this may be the shortest dating experience that you ever had.

As the evening progresses you will find you will begin to relax. This is actually dangerous as it is during this time that you are most likely to let down your guard and say something stupid. This is where you have to think more than ever. One wrong word can mean disaster. Also, at this stage of the evening the parents, especially the father, will start asking some very hard questions, like what you want to be when you grow up. Again, just be honest.

At the end of the evening before you leave, tell her parents that it was a pleasure meeting them and that they have a very special daughter. Then say your good-byes, asking your date when you can see her again. She'll either tell you or say she'll call you. Leave it at that. Don't pout or start an argument in front of the parents.

If you follow the above tips and keep your cool, meeting the parents can be the start of a very long and wonderful friendship.