When Rebecca enters the home her of new boyfriend's mother the first words out of her mouth are, "Hi. I've heard so many great things about you!" It works every time. Not only does it make mom feel great, it deflects attention — and scrutinization — away from Rebecca, 29-year-old mother-charming pro.

No doubt about it — meeting your boyfriend's mother is one of the more intimidating events in life. How do you convince her that you're good enough for her baby boy? Well, after you ironed your prettiest nice-girl dress and put makeup over the little rose tattoo on your shoulder, try these tactics:

1. Keep a low profile. When you first enter her home, take some time to quietly observe the family dynamics. Are they a family that shouts across the dinner table across the blare of the TV? Or is dinner served on fine china plates, framed with a perplexing array of forks? Once you get a grip on their style, you'll have a much better idea of what expected of you.

2. Compliment him. Sure his mom is interested in where you went to college and how many brothers and sisters you have. But her main concern is how you will treat her boy. So assuage those fears by letting her know just how much you appreciate him. Tell her about his fabulous knack for picking just the right dinner wine, or about the time he heroically helped a stranger in a restaurant. If you talk about how wonderful your boyfriend is, his mother will find you a very wise and perceptive young lady indeed.

3. Spend some time alone with her. If you take the time to ask her about her watercolor paintings or her love of gardening, she'll know that you're someone who is interested in being part of her family, rather than just stealing her only son away. Similarly, make sure to interact with everyone in the family — don't just disappear with your boyfriend to his childhood bedroom.

4. Send a thank you note. The beauty of thank-you notes is two-fold. One, they take about two seconds to write — you don't have to be creative, just say, "Thanks for the delicious dinner. It was wonderful to meet you." Two, no one writes them anymore, so people are wildly impressed when you do it.

5. Be yourself. Hopefully, being charming and considerate is not going to be a real stretch for you — you shouldn't have to be an Academy Award nominee to tell his mom her eggplant Parmesan is delicious. Still, you do need to make sure not to pile it on too thick. If you are tripping over yourself to do the dishes or exclaiming that you too find scrap-booking to be the most fascinating hobby, your efforts could backfire if she smells insecurity or phoniness. So remember: In the end, you boyfriends mom doesn't have to love you. That's his job.

Ready to find a new beau? Post a profile now and begin your quick search.