Stress-free in-laws

by Becky Scott, Posted Mar 23rd 2008 5:00PM

Filed Under: Negotiating Speed Bumps, Relationships, After the 'I Do's'

Do you know that much about your in-laws? Have you met them yet, or spent any amount of time with them? If not, you may dread having a mother-in-law. And maybe we all do until we get to know our significant other's family. It's hard to step into a fully-formed family and fit in.

But there are ways to ease the transition. Real Simple offers ten stress-free ways to deal with your in-laws. It covers everything from a critical mother-in-law ("Do you ever clean this house?") to the baby question ("When are you going to give me grandchildren?") to holiday issues.

Dealing with a whole new family doesn't have to be fraught with stress and upheaval. If you go in expecting to have a terrific extended family, you probably will. But if things don't go perfectly, just remember to treat everyone with respect and try not to let your anger get the best of you. You have many years ahead of you to get to know your in-laws and cultivate a relationship.

Photo by Shelley Panzarella used under a Creative Commons license.

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Tags: after-the-i-dos, featured, in-laws, negotiating-speed-bu..., negotiation, negotiations, relationships