Before you invite your new sweetie to Thanksgiving dinner, take this quiz to figure out if he or she is truly the type of person you want to take home to Mom
Taking home the turkey
1. The last time you two went out to dinner, your date didn't like the way the potatoes were cooked. He or she handled it by:
a. threatening the server with a call to the Department of Health
b. making comments about it the rest of the night
d. not making a big deal about it
c. sending it back
Food complaints at a restaurant are a telltale sign that you've got a picky eater on your hands, says Marilyn Anderson, dating expert and author of Never Kiss a Frog. A huge Thanksgiving dinner noo, she says, is complaining about the food. Absolutely never insult the cook, but don't go overboard on flattery either, Anderson suggests. She says excessive compliments can come off as being insincere.
2. Best way to describe your partner's relationship with his or her family is:
a. nonexistent
a. nonexistent
b. a love/hate relationship...except without the love part
b. you've had a couple dates
a. there was that one night...
c. he or she keeps in touch d. close and loving
The value your date places on family relations is also important, Anderson says. Strong love and respect shown to his or her family indicates the same consideration will be given to yours.
3. The number of dates you've spent together is:
c. enough to get to know him or her pretty well
d. you've lost count
Taking a date to Thanksgiving dinner is like taking someone as a date to a wedding, says Margot Carmichael Lester, author of the weekly advice column, Ask Margot, for www.love.msn.com. She advises that if your relationship is a new one, just go solo. "Everyone assumes too much and that pressure can get in the way of getting to know each other," Lester says. You should have spent enough time together, she says, to feel like you're truly headed for a long-term relationship.
4. The movie that best describes your partner's social skills is:
a. American Psycho
o. Carrie
c. Superstar
d. Hitch
It's difficult to gauge how your date will behave in an environment that involves nosey relatives and an all-youcan-eat buffet, Lester says. She explains that some people make up for being uncomfortable in this kind of situation by making off-colored jokes or telling embarrassing stories about their date. If this happens, she says it's best to take your date aside and gracefully explain the offense and ask that he or she be more mindful in the future. It also might help, Lester says, to explain to your date certain topics or relatives to avoid before arriving at dinner. If all else fails, she says, "Just slide under the table and disappear."
Surviving your partner's family dinner
Surviving your partner's family Thanksgiving dinner: advice from Margot Carmichael Lester, author of the weekly advice column, Ask Margot, for love.msn.com.
- Dress appropriately (not too nice, not too shabby)
- Smile pleasantly (not maniacally)
- Don't speak unless spoken to
- Stay away from discussions about politics, religion and college sports.
- Above all, never hit on a relative of your date! (or anyone else, for that matter)
Don't panic
You're meeting the parents for Thanksgiving and you don't know the first thing about dinner etiquette. Don't panic. Here's a few simple dinner do's and don'ts to follow.
5. Don't start eating before everyone has been seated/served or grace has been said.
4. Leave the room before you start dislodging the turkey from your teeth.
3. Don't be a food critic.
2. Don't answer your cell phone mid- feast. Better yet, turn it off or put it on silent.
10
1. Always thank the dinner host before you leave.
Jayplay 11.17.05