In-Laws
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In-Laws
Sheri Meyers (Marriage and Family Therapist) gives expert video advice on: How do I get my spouse to stop listening to their parents and start listening to me?; What's the best way to cope with interfering in-laws? and more...
What can I do if my in-laws don't like me?
It's really important, no matter what, to treat your in-laws with kindness and respect. It's an act of love that you're giving your partner. Let's say your in-laws are just cruel and disrespectful. It's time to sit down with your partner and tell him or her how you feel and what you need from them. They may need to intercede and tell their parents back off. This is family, you're married and you're going to have to learn how to live with each other. Your in-laws are going to have to learn how to back off a little bit, and you're going to have to learn how to love them for who they are.
What should we do if we don't like our in-laws?
Unfortunately, it's all too common that we marry a partner we like and love, but we're not so crazy about the in-laws. What do we do? If you are in the situation of not liking somebody, understand that the one you're hurting the most is yourself. Resentment hurts you much more than it's hurting them. It's also putting a separation between you and your partner. One important thing is to start looking and focusing on what you do like about your in-laws versus what you don't like because nothing is 100%. There might be certain behaviors you're not crazy about, but look for those things that aren't so bad or that you do like. Chances are, if you start focusing on what you do like, you're going to see more and more of that.