It is more crucial for the health of your marriage that you and your partner are on the same page when it comes to your in-laws than it is for them to be. Learning how to establish relationships with the in-laws can be challenging for many couples.
It might even include two persons working together. Carolyn Hax, a regular advice columnist for The Washington Post, usually addresses problems with in-laws. “In-laws from other countries are expected to behave like family and frequently have a significant impact on a marriage. This could appear intrusive to both parties and trigger a threat reaction. According to LuAnn Oliver, a couples therapist in Washington, D.C., some family systems view an in-law as a form of equal family member.
In other systems, the in-law could have a less impact than family members. “Neither is right or wrong,” she insists, “but it helps to have some awareness.” By being aware, you and your partner can decrease the effects of toxic in-law relationships and build healthy ones. According to a 2021 study Trusted Source, older women in Matlab, Bangladesh, who lived with their daughters-in-law had significantly higher death rates than women of the same age who did not.
Researchers came to the conclusion that because of years of stressful circumstances and in-law abuse, younger women may have disregarded the health of their elder mother-in-laws. Your relationship with your in-laws need not have this “impact.” However, if you are aware of common underlying issues, you may be able to put your relationship with your in-laws in perspective.
