How to Deal With Family Members That Don't Like One's Spouse

When you find the person that you want to spend the rest of your life with, the hope is that everyone in your family loves him as much as you do. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. You can not force family members to like your spouse, but there are some things that you can do to help everyone deal better with the situation.

Instructions

1. Understand that when you chose to marry your spouse you made a commitment to him. He is now your family, and needs to be your first priority.

2. Pay attention to interactions between your family members and your spouse. If you see any treatment of your spouse that you feel is unacceptable, address it in private with the family member involved. Tell her that she is entitled to her opinion about your spouse, but she is not entitled to treat her poorly.

3. Defend your spouse publicly if a public argument breaks out between him and a family member, or if someone is publicly treating him poorly.

4. Leave the family gathering with your spouse, or ask the family to leave your home, if they are making it painfully clear they do not like your spouse.

5. Talk to your spouse about the situation. Pretending it does not exist does not make it go away. Let her know that you realize your family does not like her, and you are sorry that they are being that way. Assure her that you do not support their feelings or treatment of her.

6. Limit contact with your family members until they learn to treat your spouse appropriately, whether they like him or not. Discuss family gatherings with your spouse before committing to them and only agree to those that he is comfortable with.

Tips & Warnings

• If the problems between your spouse and your family can not be resolved, it may be necessary for you to visit your family without your spouse. Before deciding to do this, though, you should make it clear to your spouse that she is welcome to join you if she wishes to, but if she does not want to, you understand.