As the groom whether you legitimately think your future mother-in-law is awesome or the feelings are less that warm and fuzzy, the plain fact is that youÍre stuck with her for life when you marry your bride! In order to stay (or get) on her good side, you need to be mindful about what you say to this ñother mother.î And, it wouldnÍt hurt to ply her with a few thoughtful mother-in-law gifts. And, while youÍre at it, donÍt forget to get a gift for the bride to show just what a thoughtful guy you are. Here are some topics to stay away from:

Cooking critiques: If you know what side your bread is buttered on, you better not ever dare to offer your analysis of her cooking skills. Sincerely complement her on the dishes that you enjoy, but donÍt make comparisons like ñthis tastes almost as good as the spaghetti at Macaroni Grillî or ñhey, is this chicken Shake-n-Bake?î The later actually happened with my mother-in-law and I was given the cold shoulder (and cold dinners) for the next year when visiting her home.

Politics: ItÍs best not to get the in-laws riled up about politics. Because your mother-in-law comes from a different generation, it is highly possible that she may have differing viewpoints about social, moral or economic issues. If a discussion does turn into a debate, keep it friendly and move on quickly to the next topic _ how great her cooking is!

TMI: DonÍt ever give your mother-in-law ñtoo much information.î Whether the details of your bottom-line or the bedroom, this type of over-sharing will always come back to haunt you. There is the potential for her to gossip with other family and friends or to embarrassingly ask you about the topic the next time she comes calling. Even the most well-intentioned mom wants to offer her advice; remember that you are the one fueling the fire.

Complain about her daughter: The woman you are marrying is also the daughter that she carried for nine months, birthed, fixed her hair in pony tails, took to endless ballet classes and bragged about proudly long before you ever came into the scene. So if your future wife has pesky little habits that drive you crazy or you think she should hit the gym a little more, these are thoughts you need to keep to yourself. Please!