Nominate Your Mother in Law as Mother in Law of the Month!

Yes! You heard that right.

Storkie is spearheading the online movement to stop all the mother-in-law bashing — especially for those who don’t deserve the bad rap. We are devoting a space on the Storkie blog for gals like you to shower their favorite MiLs (or future favorite MiLs) with love — and to thank them for breaking the “monstrous” stereotype.

Let’s face it: ladies were pitted against their mothers-in-law as far back as the written word exists and probably even before. There must be a series of yet-to-be translated hieroglyphics depicting the trials and tribulations of a married couple and their dreaded MiL, and how many books does Amazon.com list when you type in “mother in law”? 810. How many of those are self-help manuals? All of them.

Pop culture is no help. From Endora in Bewitched to Marie in Everybody Loves Raymond it is ingrained that we should be a) terrified of these judgmental women or b) staring daggers at each other across mimosas at Mother’s Day brunch.

But what happens when your Monster-in-Law turns out to be your Fairy Godmother?

Give the Lady the Recognition She Deserves

Nominate your mom-in-law as part of our Mother-in-Law of the Month series.

• Email blog [at] storkie [dot] com with a picture and short description of what you and your MiL are doing.
• Comment below with an anecdote about how you and your mom-in-law first bonded.
• Any funny experiences the two of you have shared? Send ’em over!
• Was it love at first family dinner, or did it take year to finally get along? Tell us your own journey.
• What does your MiL do that you respect above all else?

Join the growing ranks of women who actually enjoy spending time with their remarkable new moms, and start spreading the MiL Love.

8 More Things You Can Do to Make Your Mother in Law Feel Special

1. Is your mother-in-law an excellent cook? Does your husband miss her amazing meatballs or tantalizing tetrazzini? Give her a call one day and ask for one of her recipes. If she lives close by, ask her to teach you how to make it. Nothing will reinforce your relationship like a little kitchen camaraderie.

1. Mother-in-Law’s Day started in 2002 — and yet remains relatively unknown. On the 4th Sunday of October, send her flowers, go out for muffins and coffee, or catch a play — similar to what you do with your own mom on Mother’s Day.
2. Remember all the things you love about your partner? Your mother-in-law had a hand in them! If you are going through a rough patch with your mother-in-law, or just feeling sentimental, take a second to jot them down on a piece of paper. Turn that into an impromptu thank you note to your MiL-not-from-hell for raising the love of your life, or use it as a way to remind yourself of all the wonderful things she does.

1. Carve out a day every few months to do something fun, either just the two of you, or with a small group. Go wine tasting, on a hike, or to the movies. No men allowed (and no talking about her son/your husband!).

1. Share the things you have in common. Be it collecting stamps, tap dancing, or running your own business, great relationships are made only better by helping those connections thrive. If you don’t happen to share your mother-in-law’s passion for hang gliding, do a little internet research so you can at least keep the conversation flowing.

1. Call her up! It’s as simple as that. Check in once in a while, just to say hi, or to tell a fun story from work or about your kids.

1. Buy her a trinket during your travels. She’ll appreciate knowing you thought of her while you were gallivanting across Europe, or road-tripping to the mountains on a weekend getaway.

1. The best way to thank your mother-in-law for just being herself: highlight her on Storkie’s blog. Write about your great mother-in-law in the comments below, and send her the link! Let her know that her awesome qualities are known — and adored.