When you meet someone and fall in love, there is a progression of communication and information that flows between the two of you. At first, everything is blissful and superficial. You are both a bit mysterious to each other and you only ask deep questions when the time seems right. As you continue to date you will find that you get over the formal questions pretty quick and all that is left are the unique things that shape who you are. There are other details about your past and your family that should eventually come out in order to establish an honest and open relationship. One of the big things that you will eventually have to talk about is that of your family.
While telling your significant other the names of your family members and how many siblings you have may not be a hard task, telling them family issues may not be as easy. For instance, if your family was involved in an investment scam and they are going through a bankruptcy and losing their house, you may not just pop that out over casual conversation. It is something personal and may be hard to talk about because you care about the people that are involved. Just remember that the person you are dating legitimately cares about you and can help you to deal with the issues at hand.
Another thing that might be hard to explain is that of mental illness in the family. You might want to prep your companion before you actually go visit your family so that they know what to expect. Try to look at your family through a stranger’s eyes and see what they might see when coming in. Also, if there have been any deaths in your immediate family then you should definitely let your significant other know about it before they go to meet your family and ask some innocently awkward questions. All of these things can help when you are disclosing difficult details about your family.