5 Women Reveal The Worst Thing A Family Member Said To Their Partner Over Thanksgiving Dinner
Thanksgiving: The holiday that presents the perfect opportunity to bust out your leggings, stuff your face, reunite with fam, and oh — survive some seriously awkward moments with your significant other. What pairs with pumpkin pie quite like a perfectly timed offensive comment? When I asked women to share the worst thing a family member said to their partner over thanksgiving, the responses were nothing short of cringe-worthy. Your family may mean well, but that doesn't mean they won't put their foot in their mouths. In fact, it’s one of the reasons you may be hesitant to bring bae home for the holidays in the first place.
Maybe mom poses some inappropriate or intrusive question about your boo’s dating history. Maybe dad makes an offensive comment about religion — which, unbeknownst to him, happens to be the one your SO practices. Maybe your brother shares an uncomfortable story about your ex, or your uncle makes a rude remark about your partner’s career. Regardless, the point is that when you bring your significant other home for Thanksgiving, you have to prepare yourself for any potentially awk scenarios. And even if you do prepare yourself, there’s no telling what cringe-worthy question or statement your loved ones might make over the turkey dinner.
Need some proof of these possible pitfalls? Here are some super awkward Thanksgiving stories from five women who bravely brought their partners home for Thanksgiving. One word: woof.
The Career Snob
I was dating an actor, and my dad (who made no effort to hide the fact that he wished I was dating a financial planner or some sh*t) knew that. But that didn’t stop him from asking at the dinner table, “So, what’s your real job?” Yeah. It was uncomfortable. I had to apologize for him later.
— Ellie, 29
The Grown-Up Temper Tantrum
My sister threw a fit about my partner — of more than six years — being invited to an out-of-state Thanksgiving dinner with extended family members. She didn't seem to have a problem for the multiple years that we hosted Thanksgiving dinner and paid for all the food and wine she consumed before falling asleep on the couch, though.
— Gladys, 28
#Oblivious
My sister means well. But one Thanksgiving, I brought home my boyfriend of about six months because his family was kind of in shambles. I made it a point to tell my parents what the deal was so they wouldn’t ask any uncomfortable questions over dinner, but I guess the memo wasn’t passed on. So when she asked him what his family was doing for dinner (and his single dad was in jail), I had to quickly diffuse the situation and change the subject. #Mortified.
— Cassandra, 26
The Low Blow
My boyfriend at the time had an eye injury that made his eyes look a little bugged out. At one point, we thought he might have Graves’ disease since that’s a common symptom. But he got tested, and was negative. Anyway, we’re sitting at the table, and my mom starts asking us about our Halloween. She’d had a few glasses of Chardonnay, and to my horror, asked if he had ever considered dressing up as Igor from Frankenstein. I can’t make this stuff up. I was horrified, but luckily, my BF had a good sense of humor and laughed it off. I never let her live that one down.
— Jess, 30
The Mistaken Identity
My dad asked how my BF's tech startup was going. And he didn’t know how to respond because… well, he didn’t have one. That was the last guy I dated. Brutal mixup.
— Missy, 25
If those don’t serve as cautionary tales for bringing bae home on turkey day, I don’t know what will. Of course, that’s not to say that including your partner in your family’s Thanksgiving is guaranteed to be a recipe for disaster. And even if it does result in a snafu or two, hopefully, you both can laugh it off over leftovers the next day. Here’s to feasting and faux pas this holiday, folks — after all, you can’t choose your family, and ideally, your SO will be able to put up with their antics if they’re in it for the long haul.
