Once you feel like you "know your partner well enough to judge how they'll come across to your parents," that's typically an indication that it's the right time, Dr. Salmon says. You also know your parents and can sense "whether they will be supportive off the bat or hesitant," she adds. "That depends on the partner, and the parent, and how similar or different they are in terms of what they think is important," she says. And a lot of it is just a gut feeling that tells you they'll get along. While you can't control what your parents ultimately think, you can influence their feelings by demonstrating how you feel about your partner during this meeting, she says.