In-laws are a vital part of your spouse’s life — they’re also part of your life. Like one’s relationship to their bosses, in -laws is another relationship that needs to be managed.
Sometimes, they may cause some pain and be a source of burden to you. To avoid such, you’ve got to know how to deal with in-laws while maintaining your relationship.
In case it hasn’t occurred to you, many skills needed to get your daily job done are needed to successfully deal with your in law. For instance, you need to be assertive, but also highly diplomatic when necessary. In addition, you need interpersonal skills among others.
Here are a couple of things to help you get started.
- Work With Your Partner
You’ve got to work through the conflict with your partner — you’re in it together.
Don’t put your spouse in a situation where he/she has to choose between a relative and you. It’s an almost impossible situation, and it may cause some strain in the relationship.
Whether your partner’s parents are from hell, remember it’s the only one they’ve got — and you’ve got to respect that.
2. Set Boundaries and enforce it
What are your family values? Communicate them with your in-laws.
Also, don’t make promises you can’t keep.
If you don’t want your in-laws to be dropping by every time, let them know and tell them to always call before dropping by.
If they ignore your rules and drop-by without calling, don’t answer the door — keep them hanging.
3. Communicate effectively
Always communicate directly with your in-laws. If you’ve got an issue with your sister-in-law, don’t tell your spouse to talk to the sister. Call your sister-in-law directly and speak with her.
If you’re bothered by an issue, address it quickly — most times, it’s a mere misunderstanding.
In-laws are an integral part of your life. To get the most out of your marriage, you’ve got to learn how to deal with them.
Have you had issues with your in-laws before? How did you handle it?