Do In-Laws Get a Bad Rap?

In-law relationships are close by design, not by choice. No wonder they're complicated. We heard from listeners who have fantastic in-laws, and others for whom no contact at all is the only option.

In this episode, we discuss

• whether mothers-in-law, in particular, get a bad rap
• how many sit-downs you're allowed to have ever (spoiler alert: three)
• how to operate from a standpoint of maximum available generosity
• how to "watch your ratios" to improve your relationship with your spouse's parents

Here are links to research and other writing on the topic that we discuss in this episode:

Madeleine A. Fugère Ph.D. for Psychology Today: Why You and Your Mother-in-Law May Not Get Along

Karen L. Fingerman, Megan Gilligan, Laura VanderDrift, and Lindsay Pitzer: In-law Relationships Before and After Marriage

Margarita Tartakovsky for Psych Central: How Healthy Couples Deal with Their In-Laws

The Naked Marriage Podcast: Healthy Boundaries with In-Laws

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices