5 Ways To Make A Great Impression On Your Guy's Mom

Moms can be pretty tricky, particularly if they’re quite protective of their son whom you happen to be dating. For most women, it can feel like a rivalry for attention and affection. You want your boyfriend to shower you with love, but of course his mom deserves some of that love too. It can even spell trouble when you and his mom give him conflicting advice.

# Get to know her outside her role of being a mom

When you think of your boyfriend’s mother, what may instantly come to mind is a younger version of her taking care of a toddler version of your boyfriend. But aside from this mental image, there’s more to her than just being the woman who cared for him in his youth.

There’s a lot you can deduce from conversations with your boyfriend or from the things you find in his parents’ home. You may see that she studied in a certain school, that she loves The Beatles or that she’s a business executive in a large company. Keep these non-maternal tidbits of information in your mind and bring them up during the conversation. She’s sure to open up a little more to you.

# Avoid generic pleasantries

Nothing makes you seem more boring than a plank of wood than just saying, “It’s nice to meet you” and “How are you?” in every conversation. We’re sure your brain can muster up a little more than that! Get some news from your guy and ask him what his mom has been up to so you can ask about it when you meet.

If she’s been away on business, ask her about her travels. If she has recently seen a certain movie, you can mention that you’ve seen it too. If she has just recovered from an illness, ask her how she’s feeling. You want her to remember you, so you better amp up your conversation game.

# Have an opinion

Again, you’re not aiming for a wooden personality, so an opinion matters. However, we would suggest avoiding talk about religion or politics or child rearing, particularly when there’s wine involved. Regarding everything else, though, don’t just agree and nod politely whenever his mom says something.

One common ground that you can agree on may be actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood. The likes of Richard Burton and Cary Grant are sure to remind her of the classic movies she used to love as a young woman. You can mention that you prefer Marlon Brando’s boy next door charms to James Dean’s bad boy allure. It’s sure to spark a friendly debate.

# Know about what she’s into

Find out what it is that she’s passionate about, whether it’s music, movies, art, animals or food. Once you know what it is that she likes, make it a point to read up on it and find out more. If possible, have a feel of the types of things she likes to eat, watch or listen to.

When you mention that you’ve tried some of these things, she may be impressed that you’ve gone through the trouble. She may even teach you a thing or two about it. Even if it’s not your thing, always try to find something constructive about it. She doesn’t expect you to be a younger version of herself, but she may expect you to be a little more open minded about what she likes.

# Show her how well you know her son

Mothers will always worry about whether or not you can take care of their son. Your guy’s mom has been there since he was born, so she would obviously know every little detail about him, from the age when he got his first tooth to the name of his favorite teacher.

But as her son ages, she’ll realize that she can no longer know every minute detail about his life. That’s where you should step in. Fill her in on the things her son may not have mentioned. For instance, you can say that you had lunch with some of his childhood friends, whom his mom also happens to know. And then you can ask about how they were as kids. This allows you to bridge the gap of information between the phases in your guy’s life.