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The mixed relationship with in-laws is universal. Be it a man or a woman, in-laws elicit a myriad of feelings. With all the good-will towards you, they might just seem quirky, rude, and noxious. But in the testing times, they might turn out to be your champs. The unpredictable love-hate relationship with your in-laws will drive you nuts. If you call you mom-in-law indomitable, your husband thinks that he has no voice in a household that is run by your mother and you. When you look back, everything will only seem ridiculous and silly fussed over with your in-laws. Here are a few examples:
1. Being the big-mouth woman
Mom-in-law: When it comes to holding her excitement, she will be an utter failure at it. So if your mom-in-law came to know about your pregnancy and left a voice-message on your answering machine congratulating you for everyone to hear when you are not ready to make the announcement yet, you will be nonplussed.
Daughter-in-law: Well, she not only knows how to defend the situation but also knows how to strike back. She will tell everyone who heard the answering machine that mom-in-law is coming of age or she has mixed you up with her other daughter-in-law, or someone else’s for that matter.
2. Whoâs the better cook
Moms-in-law: She loves to think that she is the best cook on earth. She will do anything to make you feel like you don’t know what fancy dinners are. She calls you up every night asking what you are having for dinner, and she brags about what she is cooking. She is sure to harp on when you say that you have takeaway food.
Daughters-in-law: She loves to flaunt the cuisines that she picked from her mom. Sure she would retort by asking her MIL if she wanted to try it.
3. Who knows it better
Moms-in-law: She believes that she has all the wisdom on earth. So when you throw bits of advice to your child, she is quick to disapprove. For example, your son might come up to you saying that he wants to be a professional soccer player when he grows up. You will encourage him by saying that he can become one if he puts his mind to it. Your mom-in-law will quickly jump in disagreeing.
Daughters-in-law: She agrees better to the wisdom that comes from her parents, friends, or anyone but from her MIL. She is no angel and will be quick to say “NO!”
4. Having access to your home:
Moms-in-law: She will consider your house as a commodity that can be walked into anytime. Especially with a spare set of keys she has to your house, she will be at complete liberty to just show up with no warning.
Daughters-in-law: She will drop in at her mom-in-law’s unannounced every time she wants to drop her child off for a while. It means that the MIL has no choice but to care for the grandchildren whom she dotes on even if she had priorities for the day.
5. Calling your husband a different name
Moms-in-law: She must have a hundred nicknames for her son. But if your mother called your husband a different name at the first meeting, it could perplex them all. Has she been seeing different men? With the whole thing settling down, the mix-up could still hang around for years to come.
Daughters-in-law: She would, in fact, give her husband a name that will make the MIL gulp down. Mushy, cute, and sometimes pure out of rage – yes, those names could mean a lot of things!
6. The social media intruder
Mothers-in-law: How on earth did she manage to log into your account? Well, if the password was a family secret, she could log in there, but to be there and read everything is not a nice thing to do. Wasn’t she hell-bent upon spying into your account at some point in time?
Daughters-in-law: She doesn’t have to be a hacker. But she will quite easily intrude into her MIl’s social media page out of which she had forgotten to log out.
7. Buying cheap and gifting them refurbished
Mothers-in-law: If you thought those dozens of linens she got for you were being a bit too generous, here’s a little secret. She actually bought tons of plain white sheets when they were on sale and dyed them before gifting them to you.
Daughters-in-law: She will make it simpler – she will get stuff from a second-hand store and wrap it like it is brand new. Don’t forget the random sales time, when shopkeepers want to discard stuff for a year end sale!
8. Who is the trendiest
Mothers-in-law: She will love to pretend like she knows it all, but can be pretty ancient! Just make up a rapper’s name and she would say how much she listens to his songs. It’s not just this. She would love to match up with you when it comes to your sense of fashion. You will save your face as long as she doesn’t overdo it.
Daughters-in-law: She will adore the Audrey Hepburn look, but when her MIL wears it, she thinks it is outdated!
9. She will book her tickets with you
Mothers-in-law: If you are going somewhere with your husband, she will make sure that she gets her tickets booked too. Worse, it’s her son who will agree to make the booking for her.
Daughters-in-law: She will almost blackmail the husband not to bring her MIL along. Poor husband is left debating.
10. The talent judge
Mothers-in-law: Either she will compare your talents with that of other women or she will compel you at mastering what you had never learned before. Don’t be surprised if you picked a course because you had to chin up your mom-in-law.
Daughters-in-law: She would belittle her MIL for the talents that she lacks. Talk about wearing flawless makeup!
11. Grannyâs features
Moms-in-law: She will love to tell the world that your child has her features – even if he doesn’t.
Daughters-in-law: She would liken her children better with her parents or husband. She will not admit any resemblance with her MIL.
Have you experienced these before? Write us back.
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