Growing Up Gupta

The Ultimate Guide To Meeting Your Significant Other’s Parents

A Cheat Sheet

As many of you are aware of an Indian man marrying an African-American woman is not an ideal marriage in Indian culture, see dating secrets revealed.  Quite frankly it is a taboo.  So how did we/do you overcome it?

Our tips/cliff notes:

1.    Patience. Be patience in the tribulation knowing that in the end, the tribulation will refine you as a couple.  Sorely this may take months or even years in some cases. Moreover, things may not change until there are grandkids involved/on the way or some other life circumstance takes place. Ultimately there will be a turning point.

2.    Friendship/ a strong foundation.  If your foundation is not built on sand then it will not wither with time.

3.    Create a bridge. Your significant other’s parents have to get to know you and you have to get to know them. If they don’t want to get to know you then your significant other has to make them mindful of you. How? By, mentioning you in the course of conversation. If this doesn’t work and the bridge has extensive roadblocks then your significant other may have to enlist help from other family members and friends.

4.    Respect.  As the song written and released by Otis Redding but honed by Aretha Franklin goes R-E-S-P-E-C-T cultural differences exist. Whether it be: language, customs, religion etc. Your cultures are different in some respects and they may be the same in others and that is ok.

5.    Communicate. We’ve all heard this before. Communication is time tested. It is not only a key to dating but marriage and all other relationships.  Talk about everything. Stay up and talk until you both can go to sleep soundly at night.

6.    Lay down your expectations. Sure you may be a brilliant, handsome, gorgeous, successful, trust fund (ok, this may make a difference, just kidding) person etc but the cultural and physical differences often times will not outshine these facts.

7.    Pray together. This may seem cheesy or archaic in this day and age. Yet, it helped us to stay focused and on one accord. Looking ahead and knowing that we were in this for the long haul and that God/love would lead the way.

8.    Have Courage. Fight for what you believe in!

Do you have any meet the parent’s tips to share? We would love to hear from you. Email us. Subscribe and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest @growingupguptas and on Twitter at Growing Up Gupta.

“There is no agony greater than bearing an untold story inside of you.”