I’ve been abroad for 13 years now. I am an only child and can only spend 2-3 weeks at home per year because of my work. So when my parents visit me, they usually stay 2 weeks and we just chill. I do suffer a lot from expat guilt, those few weeks per year are very valuable to me.
I’ve been with my partner (who is a local) for a while but he only recently met my parents because of the pandemic. He tried learning my language but failed, and my parents barely understand English. Last time we all stayed together for 2 days and it was just awkward. I felt like everyone had the best intentions but my parents weren’t very comfortable, and my partner was awkward too. Because of the language barrier and barely knowing each other, they didn’t really warm up to each other.
I really want to move in with my partner, but I don’t want my parents to feel like guests in our shared flat. I have never lived with a partner before, but i guess i can’t really force him to speak another language or stay elsewhere so I can properly catch up with my parents. It would also be kinda awkward to have my parents to stay in a hotel, because we have so little time together. I don’t know what to do, who to talk to first, or how to solve this.
“Just chill” won’t work with people that have never met and can’t communicate
You will need to
Get your partner to commit to learning your language (“failing” only happens when you stop trying)
Get your parents to commit to learning english
Plan the shit out of the next visits so there’s plenty of activities to share and not just awkwardly being around each other
Think about moving in together somewhere with an extra room that can be prepared for your parents for 2 weeks out of the year and other visitors or activities during the rest of the year (ie home office media room home gym guest room, whatever)
Just get them an airbnb nearby for 2 weeks. Spend the days doing activities in 3. and then everyone goes to bed in their own place