rediffGURU Shalini Singh, founder of matchmaking platform andwemet, explains how to convince your parents about marrying someone they may disapprove of.
Talking to your parents about someone you love deeply may not always be simple.
If you have elders in the family who are conservative, they may oppose and maybe react strongly.
You may have to be extremely patient while dealing with parents and relatives who are sensitive.
rediffGURU Shalini Singh, founder of andwemet, a matchmaking platform for urban Indians, explains how you can deal with the situation calmly.
Anonymous: I am 29 years old now. I have a boyfriend.
We have been dating for three years and we have known each other for six years.
We used to work together and met at the workplace itself.
He is five years older than me and earns well. I have a family business and have now joined the business after leaving my job. I am the only child of my parents.
Now we want to get married but our castes and religions are different.
I want to start the conversation with my family about this but because their thoughts and the kind of responses they give to other inter-caste and inter-religion marriages are very negative, I already know what kind of reaction I might get from them.
I want to know how to start the conversation with them and how to convince them.
This requires a longer discussion.
But if you want to have this conversation, which you should, be prepared for some pushback. Or they may surprise you and say yes.
When the conversation happens, listen to them. Do not react and do not fight it.
This does not mean you are agreeing with their reaction; it means you are sure about what you want and are thinking about how to manage the situation calmly.
I am confident that if you handle this patiently and calmly, your family will agree in time.
All the best.
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