BY CANDACE ANNETTE POWELL

Bringing your partner home this holiday? My Newsweek feature shows how the internet explodes over one woman who coached boyfriend to cover tattoos and it resulted in a breakup. Extreme editing can ruin your relationship with everyone you love. #holidays #breakup

Candace writes, “Dating someone your family doesn’t like could become a real problem if steps aren’t taken to nip things in the bud. Relationship expert Susan Winter told Elite Daily that it’s necessary to set boundaries in these situations. “Now that you’ve listened, there should be no further discussions on the matter,” she said.

“Rather than react or attack, explain why you’re happy with your mate. Give concrete examples of how your partner edifies your life. Don’t push for approval. Give your family time to see what you see, and to realize you’re happy and content,” says Winter. She adds that once you’ve heard your family out and considered their opinions, it’s important to set a boundary moving forward. “Now that you’ve listened, there should be no further discussions on the matter. If they try again, explain you’ve already heard their concerns,” she suggests.

This scenario played out in real life — except, there’s been no happy ending so far. A user by the name “laveea” took to Reddit‘s “Am I the A**hole (AITA)” forum for advice.

“My bf and I have been together for almost 2 years. We’re polar opposites but managed to work through our differences in the past. For some context: he’s almost 90% tattooed (up to his neck) and comes from a difficult background to put it mildly,” she wrote in the viral post.

She explained that the time came for her boyfriend to meet her parents which she said would “make or break everything.” She then told him “that he will cover his tattoos — no ifs, ands or buts — because my parents are super old fashioned.”

The woman bought her boyfriend an outfit, so he’d look “presentable and classy,” followed by a practice run where she “told him what he should or shouldn’t say, how to talk, how to address any of my dad’s concerns etc.” She felt discouraged, however, because, at no point did he ever “show any enthusiasm.”

Continue reading: https://www.newsweek.com/internet-explodes-over-woman-who-coached-boyfriend-cover-tattoos-before-meeting-parents-1657139