How to Tolerate In-Laws

Tolerate In-Laws

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Unless your significant other was hatched from an egg, he’s going to come with family. His clan may be the biggest-hearted people, the biggest drunks or the biggest pains in the butt. No matter their ilk, if you want to have a harmonious relationship, you’re going to have to learn to tolerate in-laws.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

Patience
Restraint
Stiff drink (optional)

Step1

Remind yourself, as often as necessary, that the love of your life came from this stock. As awful or intolerable your in-laws may seem, they have at least a little bit of goodness to be part of a family that produced your beau.

Step2

Pretend you’re in a movie. The next time his family gathers and your sister-in-law is screaming at your mother-in-law who is screaming at your father-in-law who is screaming at the cat, remove yourself by imagining you are watching it all on film. It’s not real. It’s not really happening. It’s just a grand dose of comic relief.

Step3

Let their insults slide off like water. Since you are not part of the whole in-law fracas because you are in a movie, anything they say cannot penetrate your secret shield.

Step4

Pray for them. As awful as this step is, praying for people who make you sick will really get rid of that nauseating pit in your stomach.

Step5

Remember they do not live with you and any kind of get-together is not going to last forever. If they do live with you, well, maybe you should seek a divorce.

Tips & Warnings

A stiff drink or two may ease the in-law pain, but don’t go getting drunk. That will just give them more to snicker about and may even loosen your restraint to the point of saying something you can’t take back or punching them in the head.
If you don’t drink, meditate or leave the room.
Refrain from quick comebacks or snide remarks. In-laws have big ears and will hear anything you say, even if it’s under your breath.
If your in-laws' behavior is really out of hand, and they are constantly demeaning and insulting, you must talk to your spouse about it.
Unless absolutely necessary, don’t try to make your spouse take sides. You may be very disappointed with the side he takes.