The abundance of jokes and "terrifying stories" about the relations of the mother-in-law and son-in-law, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is capable to cause the real fear of acquaintance to the girl/guy's relatives. But you should not look for because of it in partners the orphan!
Reasons of fear of new relatives
Subconsciously each person entering the relations knows that he should find together with the spouse and new relatives. Sometimes the hot unwillingness to get acquainted with them spoils the relations in couple.
Not the first century jokes about the spouse/spouse's parents walk in the people. And always they - the hostile environment for the candidate for halves of their child. For certain these fears have roots in tradition to send the bride to foreign family in complete dependence from the husband. Ancient "Domestic tyranny" did not add optimism to the young maiden too. The mother-in-law in most cases sought to subordinate the daughter-in-law to herself, acting with quite ruthless methods.
But why then the fear of the guy of the bride's parents is not less strong? Possibly, it arose a bit later when accommodation of young people in the territory of the husband stopped being obligatory. The young spouse, having appeared in family of the wife, at once got under "microscope" of new relatives. The list of the fact that it "had to" impressively long. If the young husband did not cope with the duties, the mother-in-law and the father-in-law began to humiliate him. If to analyze all these situations, it becomes clear that fears of acquaintance to parents arise from the fact that the groom or the bride are afraid not to meet expectations of seniors.
How to behave at acquaintance to parents
It is necessary or is not necessary for you to enter into the close friendly relations with future relatives, depends on you and your partner in the relations. If there is a need for additional heat, then it is possible to try to realize it. In this case it is better to be prepared for the fact that you can not be accepted in advance. No relations exist cloudless and ideal if several generations are involved in them. Look for common language. Do not try to be pleasant by all means, behave politely, correctly, but it is natural. In advance ask on character and hobbies of mother and partner's father, prepare inexpensive gifts. Expensive it is not necessary to do, it will look bribery. Perhaps, it will be much easier for you to come to acquaintance to the parents. Sometimes the senior relatives find much in common and with pleasure conduct a conversation, practically without drawing the younger generation into a conversation. In this case, when all attention is not concentrated on you, it will be easier for you to overcome fear and to look narrowly at the partner's parents. If the fear of acquaintance to parents is too strong, possibly, in your relations not everything is all right. The unwillingness to approach new relatives can speak about your subconscious denial of marriage in general or specifically with this person.