Meeting the Parents, what to get them Options

[Inferia]

So I guess I'm meeting my bf's parents this week. I'm not really sure what to get them, if I should get them each something or just one gift. People say food is the best idea, but I feel like chocolates are rather generic no matter how specialized they are.

Oh we're going to dinner (actually every meal it seems like), should I offer to pay? I wasn't technically invited to their place.

[Spectatrix]

If you want to go the food route, I'd recommend giving them something you've made yourself, e.g. cookies or banana nut bread. As for paying for dinner, ask your boyfriend what his family might expect. The parents themselves will give you clues... if they grab the bill immediately and plunk down a credit card without batting an eye, don't sweat it. If you're going out to multiple meals, though, you might offer to cover the entirety of one of the less expensive ones (probably a lunch).

In my family, who pays largely depends on who's there. If it's my dad & step-mom, they're going to pay for the meal unless you absolutely insist otherwise. When I last went out with my mom & stepdad, though, I ended up paying for the entire meal (6 people) because I got tired of watching them whisper over the bill trying to decide what card/checking account to pay it with.