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Help! You Don’t Get On With Your Partner’s Family. Here’s What to Do.
They’re awful, but you’re stuck with them
“My folks are coming to stay,” your partner says, casually.
You open your mouth to protest but you close it again. It’s two years since they’ve visited, while your own family has come and gone several times in between. You need to be hospitable, to be fair to your partner.
But the prospect of cohabiting with your in-laws makes your shoulders stiffen, anxiety ramp up in your chest. You remember last time all too well — you already know how it’ll go.
The house will be bulging, your father-in-law will drink too much and you’ll have to defend his constant barbs about how kids should be climbing trees instead of gluing themselves to screens.
Your sister in law is hyper-competitive (yes, for some reason she’s coming too) and your mother-in-law will rearrange the pantry again — her not-so-subtle way of conveying you’re not good enough for her precious child.
By the end of the visit, you’ll be exhausted, resentful, and questioning how many more of these gatherings you can take.
Sound familiar? If so, plenty of people share your pain.
