1 of 16

 

Source: Shutterstock

You might have the fortune of falling for a man whose family is the family you never had. You might have the decent luck of falling for a man with perfectly okay parents—nothing to write home about, but cause no trouble. And then, you might just fall for a man whose family would inspire another season of Arrested Development. Here is what to do if your boyfriend’s family is crazy.

Source: Shutterstock

Let him know to let them know to back off

You can never ask your man’s family to back off. They’ll probably reject you permanently if you do. If you need your guy’s mom to call you less, or his dad to stop dragging you into political conversations, ask him to find a way to do so where it doesn’t blow back on you.

Shutterstock

Don’t lecture the delinquent sibling

You might think your doing your man’s parents a favor by giving life advice to their younger child who quit college or drinks too much. At the end of the day, though, that’s their baby. They don’t want anyone stepping on their toes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shutterstock

Deflect conversations about the future

Crazy parents get ahead of themselves, especially when talking about their son’s future. Don’t talk about finances, or where the two of you might live, or children or weddings. They’ll go into worry mode immediately.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image Source: Shutterstock.com

Eat the food

Crazy families usually look for reasons to believe that others look down on them—that they’re not good enough, that their home isn’t good enough, that their food isn’t good enough…Eat the food.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shutterstock

Careful on the gifts

Remember: a crazy family is looking for hints that you’re looking down on them. Try not to give them gifts that are very expensive or fancy, or anything that implies they’re doing something wrong (like a house cleaner session or a counter top organizer. And how-to books are out of the question.)