Looks like we’re on a roll on family related posts. Anyway, today, mothers-in-law. Amiable relationships between in-laws are almost rare. There’s usually a gap or an unspeakable hate between them. That is the common scenario.

One thing is for sure, there’s almost always no love at first sight between in-laws. That is understandable. It’s hard to entrust your child to a stranger. And it’s ok to be suspicious and it’s ok to have doubts. Because no matter how old your daughter gets, you will always be a concerned parent.
Marriage changes everything. When your daughter has a husband, your son-in-law is already a part of the family. Get to know him. Talk during reunions and family dinners and give him a chance to win you over.

Don’t be afraid to like him. If you think he’s great then let him know. If you think he’s doing a good job as a husband, tell him you’re proud of him. He needs to know he’s living up to your expectations so he can be motivated to provide for his own family.

Do not underestimate your influence. Provided that they married against your will, don’t think that your opinions don’t matter to them anymore. If you keep on pointing out how much of a mistake their relationship is, you might actually succeed in breaking your child’s marriage. As a parent, remember that your interests lie on your child’s happiness. So try to be happy for them.

Avoid pulling an I-told-you-so when they’re having problems. Instead, give sound advice so they can work on their marriage issues. Remember when you were having problems with your own marriage? Relationships need more than love and compatibility and you know that because you had problems in your own marriage too.

Be a loving grandma. It’s not hard to love the children even if you don’t like your son-in-law. They are children – and they need their grandma so be there for them. And no matter what happens, don’t badmouth their parents because your opinions mean a lot to them and how they see their parents.