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in laws Archives - SYMBIS Assessment

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Help! My Future Mother-In-Law is Trying to Take Over My Wedding

By Engagement, In-laws & Family One Comment

It’s almost wedding season, and many engaged couples all over the world are getting ready for their big day. Your world has likely been engulfed by flowers, cakes, dresses, and catering menus. Engagement is an exciting time, but like all seasons, it has its ups and downs. Wedding planning should be an enjoyable experience for engaged couples, but often, it’s stressful and intense instead. It’s disheartening to experience family drama before you’ve even said, “I do.” So how do you respond to them in a loving way? Should you entertain their suggestions, change your wedding plans to fit their wishes,…

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Help! My Parents Dislike My Spouse – But We Live With Them

By In-laws & Family No Comments

Living in a multi-generational home with your parents or in-laws can be both a blessing and a challenge. Sometimes, couples experience seasons in their marriage that require them to share a home with family members. While this can be helpful during transitional periods, it can cause strain long-term–especially if your parents don’t like your spouse. It’s often difficult to share a home with either of your parents. You’re all adults with your own lifestyle, preferences, and rhythms. It can be difficult for two couples to combine their lives this way, particularly when there’s tension in the home. Still, you might…

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My Spouse Cheated - And My In-Laws Knew. What Now?

My Spouse Cheated – And My In-Laws Knew. What Now?

By Conflict, In-laws & Family 2 Comments

Facing the pain of infidelity is one of the hardest things you may ever experience. You’re trying to come to terms with the fact that your spouse was hiding a major secret. That’s bad enough; but what if your in-laws knew about the affair? Unfortunately, many times people may know or suspect that a friend or family member is having an affair. Yet, they may not tell the innocent spouse. There are many reasons for this; maybe they don’t want to get involved, or maybe they’re afraid they’ve made a mistake. But when your family members know–especially your in-laws–that makes…

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3 Tips for Coping With Competitive In-Laws

By In-laws & Family One Comment

Family relationships can be complicated. This is especially true when you marry and combine families. If your in-laws happen to be competitive, this adds an entirely new layer of issues to navigate. When you were single, you only had to manage the relationships within your immediate and extended families. But when you married your spouse, you gained their family as well. And that means that you multiplied the number of relationships that you now need to manage and nurture in your life. Many people find it difficult to manage their relationships with in-laws. This is often due to a number…

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Help! My Spouse Always Sides With My In-Laws. What Can I Do?

By Conflict, In-laws & Family 2 Comments

In most marriages, it’s common to have an occasional clash with in-laws or other extended family members. After all, we’re all human, and it’s inevitable that we will disagree with one another from time to time. But what if these clashes are happening on a regular basis, and your spouse always seems to be on your in-laws’ side? What do you do then? Some relationships naturally have more friction than others, and that can add unnecessary stress to your dynamic over the years. It can also be taxing on your marriage, especially if your spouse defaults to taking his or…

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Holidays With the In-Laws: Cultivating a Joyful, Peaceful Season With Extended Family

By In-laws & Family One Comment

Have you experienced conflict with your in-laws, particularly during the holidays? If so, you’re not alone. Many couples navigate challenging in-law relationships throughout the year. Oftentimes, challenges peak during the holiday season because there are so many activities, events, and family obligations to fulfill. If you’re looking for some additional guidance on constructively, successfully, and lovingly handling tough or uncomfortable situations with your in-laws this holiday season, we can help. Today, we’ve rounded up some posts from our archive that are packed with tips you can put to work to ease the tension. A note before we begin… Family tension…

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Help! Our Parents Don’t Approve of Our Engagement

By Engagement, In-laws & Family 4 Comments

Failing to get our parents’ approval of the person we love and plan to marry is one of the most painful circumstances couples face. Parents sometimes disapprove of engagement for a number of reasons, and each situation is entirely unique to the couple and their family dynamics. Regardless of the circumstances or the parents’ reasoning, this scenario is always difficult to navigate. If you’re an engaged couple facing criticism or disapproval from either or both sets of parents, there are a few things you can do to gain clarity during this season. Let’s take a look. 1. Give them time….

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How to Navigate Life with Demanding Family Members

By Conflict, In-laws & Family No Comments

All families face personality clashes, strain, and conflict from time to time. If someone in your family is demanding or difficult to interact with, their behavior makes interactions tough for everyone. A demanding parent, grandparent, aunt, or uncle can put a significant strain on a married couple’s relationship if the couple doesn’t have a game plan for navigating that relative’s demands. Demanding family members can create unnecessary drama for everyone–something most people want to avoid. Planning a calm, loving response to neutralize stress is important so that you, your spouse, and the rest of your family can enjoy a healthy,…

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What to Do When Your Spouse’s Family Doesn’t Bond

By In-laws & Family, Marriage, Relationships 4 Comments

If you come from a family that is connected and has traditions, it can be tough to walk into a new family that doesn’t share this special bond. Marriage brings on both the better and the worse, and marrying into a family who doesn’t get along, or lacks a bond, may be a tough road you have to face together. When you’ve had warm and wonderful memories growing up, it’s hard to accept that not all families are this way. And with the Holiday’s quickly approaching, it’ll likely bring out feelings of hurt more so than other times. This week,…

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Tips for Navigating Difficult In-Law Relationships – Part 2

By Communication, Conflict, In-laws & Family 12 Comments

Most married couples are uncomfortably familiar with some level of stress when it comes to their in-laws. Maybe you’re dealing with invasion of your privacy, criticism, or jealousy, to name a few issues. The bottom line is, you married one another’s families when you married each other–now, you need to be able to work together to navigate the difficult situations that may arise from time to time. This week, we’re completing our two-part series on challenging in-law relationships. (If you missed part 1, you can catch up here.) Read on to learn a few more ways you and your spouse…

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