How to Help Your Parents Get Along with Your In‐Laws
Paint a positive picture of your in-laws for your parents., Avoid telling your parents negative things about your in-laws., Tell your parents about your in-laws’ habits and quirks.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Paint a positive picture of your in-laws for your parents.
If you talk to your parents about your in-laws, you’re creating expectations – positive or negative – for when they eventually meet each other.
Set the stage for positive future interactions by telling your parents about your in-laws’ good qualities.Establish common ground ahead of time by pointing out similarities between your family and your partner’s family.
You might provide an example like "They are very family-oriented--just like us.
They have Sunday dinners with the entire family each week." If you dislike your in-laws, try to find something positive to say anyways.
For instance, tell your parents that your mother-in-law is great at organizing events, not that you think she’s overbearing. -
Step 2: Avoid telling your parents negative things about your in-laws.
If you complain to your parents about your partner’s family, they might dislike your in-laws before ever meeting them.
You don’t have to love your in-laws, but it’s best to reserve your venting for your friends, not your parents.If you’ve already told your parents what you don’t like about your partner’s family, do damage control by bringing up things you do appreciate about your in-laws.
Remember, you are striving to build lifelong relationships and your parents deserve to make up their own minds about their new in-laws. , Every family has their own idiosyncrasies and sensitive subjects.
Give your parents an idea of what they can expect when they meet your in-laws, and let them know if there are any topics they should avoid bringing up.
Ask your partner to give their parents a similar heads-up.This step is especially important if your families are from two different cultures or have very different outlooks on life.
Something to the effect of "My new father-in-law works at the university, so he's quite brilliant.
But, be warned: he'll drag you into hours' long conversations about insects." -
Step 3: Tell your parents about your in-laws’ habits and quirks.
Detailed Guide
If you talk to your parents about your in-laws, you’re creating expectations – positive or negative – for when they eventually meet each other.
Set the stage for positive future interactions by telling your parents about your in-laws’ good qualities.Establish common ground ahead of time by pointing out similarities between your family and your partner’s family.
You might provide an example like "They are very family-oriented--just like us.
They have Sunday dinners with the entire family each week." If you dislike your in-laws, try to find something positive to say anyways.
For instance, tell your parents that your mother-in-law is great at organizing events, not that you think she’s overbearing.
If you complain to your parents about your partner’s family, they might dislike your in-laws before ever meeting them.
You don’t have to love your in-laws, but it’s best to reserve your venting for your friends, not your parents.If you’ve already told your parents what you don’t like about your partner’s family, do damage control by bringing up things you do appreciate about your in-laws.
Remember, you are striving to build lifelong relationships and your parents deserve to make up their own minds about their new in-laws. , Every family has their own idiosyncrasies and sensitive subjects.
Give your parents an idea of what they can expect when they meet your in-laws, and let them know if there are any topics they should avoid bringing up.
Ask your partner to give their parents a similar heads-up.This step is especially important if your families are from two different cultures or have very different outlooks on life.
Something to the effect of "My new father-in-law works at the university, so he's quite brilliant.
But, be warned: he'll drag you into hours' long conversations about insects."
About the Author
Sophia Nguyen
Sophia Nguyen specializes in architecture and design and has been creating helpful content for over 2 years. Sophia is committed to helping readers learn new skills and improve their lives.
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