Meeting your girlfriend or boyfriends friend’s is a significant step in a relationship. Our dating advice will help you figure out if it’s the right time.
Have you met someone that you really like? Could he or she possibly be “the one”? Do you want to introduce them to your friends, colleagues and family?
It’s only natural that after a new man or women comes into your life that you want to let them see every aspect of your world. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves and take one step at a time. For now, let’s just focus on the least daunting of the three, introducing them to your mates…
Whether you’ve just met, or you’ve been on a few dates, do you feel ready to introduce your girlfriend or boyfriend to your group of friends? When do you think is the right time for a couple to take this step? This is a tricky question and unfortunately there is no simple answer. However, keep reading, as we provide some useful advice to help you know when the time is right for you and your date.
Are you ready to introduce your friends to your date?
It is understandable that you may have worries about introducing your date to your circle of friends. Will they approve? What if they don’t like him or her? What if your date doesn’t like your friends? What if your mates tell embarrassing stories and your date has a change of heart?
Breathe! It will be ok! If you think this will happen, prep your mate’s before-hand and ask them to behave, or to steer-clear of certain topics. However, if you’re still not sure they will get along, it might not be the right time for introductions quite yet… Take some time to get to know each other better and then introduce them when your relationship is much stronger.
Why you should introduce your friends to your date
Introducing your date to your friends is a big step and can be a daunting experience. When both parties mean a lot to you, it can be worrying to wonder what each will think of each other and if they’ll get along. However, it is a positive step to take, helping to move your relationship forward.
Friends are a big part of your life, they share your interests and do similar activities as you and so they are therefore a good reflection of yourself. Whilst with your friends, it is also likely that you will relax more and be more open, so your new girlfriend or boyfriend will get to see the real you, helping them to get to know you much better.
How do you know when the time is right?
Timing is really important. However, every situation is different and unfortunately there is no set rule to say that you should wait a month, 2 months or until a set number of dates have passed before introducing your girlfriend or boyfriend to your mates.
Many people wait until they know that they are in a committed relationship which is going somewhere. Your friends can be some of your harshest critics and so make sure you give your relationship a chance first, before introducing them to your panel of judges.
It is also likely that you have talked with your date about your friends and with your friends about your date. You may get to the stage when they each feel like they know each other well, even though they haven’t even met. Therefore, in this situation, getting everyone together will feel like the next natural step, and shouldn’t feel awkward at all.
However, it’s important not to rush into things, as this could scare your new girlfriend or boyfriend. Make sure you are both comfortable with any decision that is made.
What else to consider?
If you’re still unsure when to take the plunge, to help, why not have a think about why you want to introduce your date to your friends. Is it because your date and your friends are both very important to you? You want him or her to be able to join you on your friend’s nights out? You share everything with your friends and want them to share this development in your life? Your date has a common interest with one of your mates so you think they’d get on well?
Whatever the reason, considering this question should help you come to a decision on when the best time is for your date and your friends to be introduced. If your reason is to get feedback from your friends, to show your date off, or to seek approval, you may not be ready to move to the next step quite yet.
Once you’ve decided when they will meet, think about what the best place for them to meet is. Don’t just make a plan so that you “accidentally” bump into your friends whilst on a date. Think about how you would feel if you were completely put on the spot, or if you were planning a romantic evening but it was gatecrashed by your date’s friends on a lads or girls night out? Instead, arrange an environment where your date will be comfortable. Perhaps arrange something where your date and friends will have something in common, as well as something else to focus on, such as going to watch their favourite bands, or sports team.
And remember, you don’t want to introduce too many people to the mix too early on in your relationship. Make sure you have lots of time to yourself, just the two of you. It is important to spend time getting to know each other alone. Once you feel comfortable with each other, only then, consider taking the next step to introducing them to your friends.
Now you’ve just got wait for the invite to meet your date’s friends! And then start planning introductions to your family…