Daily Love Tip #80

Hold Your Spouse's Family in High Regard

In-law jokes abound. But extended family conflicts are no laughing matter. They quickly create stress and disharmony in marriage and can make life miserable. Often the problems we face with our in-laws could be avoided simply by showing them a little courtesy and a lot of respect.

In every conversation concerning your spouse's family, keep your comments positive. Leave the skeletons in the closet where they belong. Refrain from making your mate's mother the brunt of your jokes. Don't criticize Dad. Refuse to belittle or poke fun, no matter how unusual your mate's relatives seem to you. Remember that your spouse's family is now your family as well.

Loving someone means loving whom they love.
896 views 6 replies
Reply #1 Top
But what do you do if the inlaws make it a point of hating you, making YOU thr brunt of every joke and criticism?
Reply #2 Top
Well, I had that problem with my first inlaws...they HATED me....so I stayed away from them as much as possible. If they wanted to talk about me, that was their choice, but I didn't have to put myself in a place where I had to deal with it, you know?
Reply #3 Top
Great advice. I'm in the process of adjusting to new in-laws, and you never said a truer word.
Reply #4 Top
Great advice. I'm in the process of adjusting to new in-laws, and you never said a truer word.


Good luck...hope it all works out for you!
Reply #5 Top

Great advice. I'm in the process of adjusting to new in-laws, and you never said a truer word.

Which means adjusting from the cliche of treating then as outlaws.

Reply #6 Top
Great advice. I'm in the process of adjusting to new in-laws, and you never said a truer word.Which means adjusting from the cliche of treating then as outlaws.


You know, I never did that...the first set just made it known that they thought I wasn't good enough for their son, and they were never going to like anything I did....his father tried to pay me not to marry him....so, as I said, I stayed far away from them whenever possible. My second set of inlaws were great, and treated me like one of the family, so I never had a problem with either of them. This time around, I don't HAVE in-laws, so that's one less stressor on the marriage, I guess!