Need advice: How to tell the parents?

[Void]

Dear reader

I'm here for advice on a matter I find very important: Parents and Family.

Backstory:

3 Months ago I met a girl on an online app (Not a dating app. Just an app were you could chat with other people who had same interests).
I was chatting with both boys and girls about random things. Normally a conversation would stop like around 20-30 messages, but with this girl it was differed. We chatted for like 1.5 months all the time, we exchanged numbers after a while, Facebook information and other stuff. After the 1.5 Month se said she liked me and found it sad we could never meet in person cause we lived so far apart. I liked her also and said I would come to her. Bit more information we live apart 6.30 hour drive away from each other (I'm from Belgium, She is from Germany). So we met and the connection was almost instant. I came to her after that 3 more times, 2 times with plane (50 min flight) and one with car, and we would keep chatting and skyping between the meetings. The distance is not the problem here I am Self employed an decide my own hours and get paid a bit more than an average normal job.

The problem is she is so afraid to tell her parents for multiple reasons:

1. The distance
2. Age difference she is 18 I am 24 (My friends, family and both of us see this in the normal boundaries of age difference, but she is afraid her parents won't)
3. Maybe the thing she is most afraid of ... The way we met each other (She thinks her parents won't accept it that we met over the internet, I can understand this it is not the "Normal Way").

The only thing I want is a chance to prove myself to the parents. I'm well mannered, have a good job and want to make this relationship work for a 100%.

I think it is very important I would get along with her parents. She is 18 still goes to university and is dependent of them.
She is so scared to tell them...

I'm going over this weekend and said to her we would talk about it and find the best solution. I have a couple of ideas but would like to hear what you people think about the whole situation and how we should handel it...

Thanks in advance

Void

Ps: Sorry about my bad English grammer it is not my mother language.

[TheEvilJester]

Your English was not bad at all. Trust me, I've seen worse from people whose original language is English.

Anyway, as to your question, I think early on this is really something between her and her parents. There really isn't much you can or should do at this point. Your age difference isn't too big of a deal, as that is certainly a reasonable gap. Just remember that this could possibly mean that you two are at different stages in life, though. Could it be possible they may be worried it will interfere if she had been intending to go to college?

Also, in this day and age it is not so out of the ordinary to meet people online. As long as you are careful about it, there is no problem with that. I mean, really, how is it all that different from meeting people in real life? Heck, in some ways it is better because you get a chance to know a little about people before meeting them in person.

She obviously knows her parents better than you. It is up to her to figure out how she thinks best to handle it with them. Then, if and when you do meet them, you are on the right track with your thoughts. Just be a true gentleman and they will have no legitimate reason to have any problem with you.

Hopefully they will approve, but in the end it isn't up to her parents who she dates. If they do not approve, just do whatever you can to continue to be polite and cordial and continue to be a gentleman. In time, if you two begin to get more and more serious as a relationship, they will have no reason not to accept you. Mind you, that doesn't mean they necessarily will. Sometimes people can be stubborn. Hopefully they will be fine with it, though, knowing they can trust there daughter. Hopefully you won't have to worry about it after all. Good luck.

[woody]

^^again, yes to all of it. man, I can't get a word in edge wise but I'll try. te ehee.

(btw, your english and grammar is splendid)

Yes, be a gentleman. Agree with T.E.J the parents could be concerned about her finishing school so if you do meet them, her schooling is something you'd never interfere with, you know she's a smart cookie and though you haven't known her long, your proud none the less.
The age difference is nothing I'd be concerned about but as the Jester says, she knows her parents best and how to handle them.
Bring flowers for the Mom; and if Dad likes Scotch, a nice bottle of/ or wine.

Parents appreciate a chivalrous man. When my baby sister (though she was 16 at the time) started dating I recall our Dad and Mom looking out their window as the two left on their date and if he didn't open the car door for her, Dad frowned with a slight growl and a quiet, "little punk".. so yeah, chivalry, very important.

Can't add anything else because the Jester said it all.
I think your in good shape.

[TheEvilJester]

Sort of a side note here, but....

I swear, sometimes I think holding the door for a lady is a lost art. I don't even think twice about it. It is just natural to me as the polite thing to do. Yet, it doesn't seem like many people do it anymore, and I am always surprised how big a deal it seems to be to women when I do it for them. I just always thought it was the right thing to do. No sexism meant in it at all (on my part, anyway), just proper manners.