Many people are lucky and get along well with their partner’s family while other people find it hard to build a relationship with their in-laws and they need help. Although your partner is crazy about you, his parents or siblings can hate you. If your in-laws don’t like you, don’t worry, it will take time to win them over if you follow my tips for getting great with your in-laws.
1. Show an interest in something they like doing
One of the best ways to get along with your in-laws is to show your interest in something they like doing. For instance, ask your mother-in-law about her family recipe or your father-in-law about his recent fishing excursion. This is a great way to break the ice and the first step to getting your in-laws to like you!
2. Spend time together
When you show your interest, do something interesting with your mother-in-law to make it a wonderful day where both of you go shopping or have lunch together, or when you ask your father-in-law about his recent fishing excursion, tell him that next time you’d like to go with him. Show them that you want to be a part of their family and you don’t want to take their son away from them.
3. Help
Whether your father-in-law is trying to find out how to use a laptop or your mother-in-law needs some help in the kitchen, make sure you help them. They will certainly appreciate it and remember it forever. However, don’t insist on helping, if they say no when you ask.
4. Ask for help
Since in-laws love to feel included, ask them to babysit for several hours or overnight if they want. Give them the chance to feel connected with you. When you are not sure how to fix something, call them up or ask your mother-in-law to teach you how to cook. Asking your in-laws for help will definitely win them over and you will certainly get along great with them!
5. Don’t put down their ideas
Maybe you won’t agree with everything your in-laws say, especially about raising your children but don’t put down their ideas. You may say something like, “Thank you for your tips, I’ll definitely take them into consideration”. If you put down your in-laws’ parenting style they will think that you believe his son was raised incorrectly.
6. Respect their traditions
If your in-laws celebrate Hanukkah with a large festive meal or they’ve always gone to a church on Christmas Eve, respect their traditions. Holidays can be a hard time since everybody wants you to come for a visit and, of course, you cannot visit everyone on the same day. But make sure to include your in-law’s traditions in your holiday planning.
7. Don’t force it
Building a good relationship with your in-laws is not an easy thing and it doesn’t happen overnight, so, please, just don’t force it. Don’t feel defeated if your mother-in-law cancels the shopping trip you’d planned together. Remember you can always try again. Try to be patient and give it time. You can also ask your husband for help if it’s needed.
If you’re a kind and gentle person, and you follow these tips for getting along with your in-laws, then you won’t have any problem at all! The most important thing to remember is to be respectful. So, how did you get along with your in-laws? Do you have some helpful tips? Feel free to share them with us!
