Flirting: When the Parents Are Present, Turn It Down

Out of all the normal things that couples do--movies out, dinners, picnics, walks, trips to the beach--meeting and hanging out with the parents always carries a number of specific challenges. For example, your significant other may not have met your parents before, therefore there will be at least some tension during the introductions and throughout the first few hours of hanging out. Then there is the issue of the parents' feelings towards your date--maybe they don't know your boyfriend/girlfriend well enough yet to have a decision, or maybe they have already judged them and found a few things that they don't particularly care for. Though it's difficult to make those first meetings be perfectly smooth, there are some measures that you can take to help things out. One of those things is simply taking it easy with the flirting.

In other words, when around your parents, or your date's parents, take into consideration what they are seeing. The more you flirt in front in front of them, the more of an opinion they will create of your relationship. The grounds in being cautious concerning this, though, is simply that the parents may take home the wrong idea about your relationship. Depending upon your flirting style, your or your date's parents could just plain get the wrong idea. For example, if you and your boyfriend/girlfriend are play-fighters, playfully taunting each other or picking at small things, the parents and others can get the wrong impression about your relationship--even going so far at to tell you later that they don't think it's working at all, simply because they took your flirting the wrong way.
Additionally, taking it easy with the flirting while in the company of parents is a good idea purely because no one enjoys being around a couple that is too "touchy-feely" or "silly," i.e. too flirty. Because parents are always involved in your life, even after you've moved out and gotten your own, independent life, they tend to watch and learn as they are around you. Be assured that, as they are around you and your significant other, they will be doubly watching.

Finally, no one wants to be gross--especially in front of parents. Very few people relish it when they discover that their parents have been saying negative things about their relationship behind closed doors, and parents usually don't like to be embarrassed by their children who are all over their date. Toning down the flirtatiousness for the sake of keeping your parents from saying tacky things is in itself worth the trouble!