Ep. 47 - Dealing with the In-Laws

As I write this we are in the midst of the holiday season. And with that comes lots of family time. Hopefully that is a good thing but for many married couples it can come with challenges like dealing with the in-laws. Fortunately both Kay Lee and I have good relationships with each other's parents but there were times that spending time with them caused some stress in our marriage. Are we the only one? The conflict occurs when one or both sets of parents crosses the imaginary boundary into your marriage. A very typical argument between husband and wife usually revolves around how one of your parents treated your spouse. It may not seem like a big deal to you so you defend your parents by telling your spouse it’s no big deal. You know how it goes from there. Sometimes the issue is trivial and others it is big. But regardless of the size of the issue, how you respond to the situation can either bring you and your spouse closer together or pull you apart. 

Key takeaways:

Typical family scenario:

• Dictating the holiday
• Taking over your holiday
• High expectations
• Saying inappropriate things
• Have you gained weight?
• Defending your parents
• Isolating your spouse
• Cause and effect of taking your parents side 
• Create healthy boundaries
• Choosing marriage over parents
• Two become one
• Create your own holiday