How to Deal with Family Disapproving Your Partner Choice
If there’s one situation that should be in the dictionary under “stuck between a rock and a hard place,” that would be when your family disapproves of your significant other. It’s pretty much a no-win situation, unless someone changes their mind. However, when your parent’s don’t approve of your significant other there are a few things you can do.
Tell them to take a hike! If your parent’s can’t realize that you are an adult and should be trusted to know best the person you’re dating, then they have no reason to have any input. They’re also not spending day and night with this person. Always remember that the person who knows your significant other best is you!
That extreme option being said, if you are having doubts, or even if you’re not, it’s good to discuss your relationship with your parents. Hear what they have to say; that way your parents can feel like they’re being heard and you can address their worries. Stay calm though, so they know you are being serious and listening to their thoughts. That way, if they bring up their dislike another time you can state that you have already had this conversation and have nothing else to say on the matter. Remember to keep calm. If you don’t, this will just give them more ammunition because they can see that it bothers you and will think you are being insensitive to their feelings.
If it seems like more than just your parents are having problems with your significant other, then things might be worth taking a second look at. Does the person your with make you happy? Do you feel good when you’re with them? Is your relationship a healthy one that is good for you? If so, then once again, you know them and your relationship with them best and, in the end, you are the final judge. This is the person you have chosen to be with and this is the person you need to like spending every day with. But also, don’t dismiss entirely the fact that so many people who you have chosen to keep in your life, and who have probably been in your life for a long time, have a problem with your partner. You also made the decision to have a relationship with them. Why do they have a problem with your partner? Talk to them as well and address their worries. Maybe you’ll be able to appease their doubts, and if not, you can at least know why they’re concerned.
These suggestions are all if the person you’re dating is someone you’re serious about. If it’s just someone you’re having a good time with, or even just a “friends with benefits” situation, then don’t care what your parents think because it’s not like they’re going to have to be spending Christmas with him and his family in five years.
If it is someone that you’re living with and if it’s serious, you should have a discussion with your parents. Explain to them that their interference and lack of trust in your judgment, which is what it comes down to, is tearing you up inside. You obviously love them and value their happiness as well since you are taking the time to have this conversation, but in the end it is ultimately your decision. After that there really isn’t that much you can do but constantly show your parents how happy you are with your significant other and just keep talking them up as much as you can. In the end, it’s your life, your relationship, and your future.
