The person you’re probably tempted to vent to is the one you should avoid at all cost—your husband. Put yourself in his position. What if he couldn’t stand your mother

and he was constantly ragging on you about it. Don’t you think that would get on your nerves after about, oh, a couple of minutes? 

Being married doesn’t mean you can’t

have healthy intimate relationships with other people. Call one of your girlfriends to scream or cuss at the top of your lungs. Chances are, she can relate and offer up

some tips. And, it will help to keep you and your hubby’s relationship intact. 

If you only focus on the negative, that’s all you’re ever going to see. We’re not doubting that there are some things about your in-laws or husband’s other family members

that are cringe-worthy. We’re just saying that they can’t be all bad. You did marry someone out of the crew, after all. 

To keep everything in perspective, pull out a sheet

of paper—or your smartphone—and jot down some of the pros and cons of your husband’s family. On the cons side, think about what you can do to deal with those

things a little better. For instance, if your mother-in-law is constantly downing your cooking, maybe it’s better to meet at a restaurant instead of at your house.

Empathy is about tapping in and trying to see things from the other person’s perspective. If your husband is the only son or the baby of the family, his mom, sister

or aunt might be overly-protective because they always have been. 

It can take a while to adjust after years and years of acting a certain way. If you’re a mom with

a son, you might be able to understand this…if you’re just willing to put yourself in someone else’s shoes.

Sometimes, all of the different personalities in one space and at one time is what can send you over the edge. Maybe take your mother-in-law shopping, your brother’s siblings to a

movie and your father-in-law on your own date where the two of you can get to know each other better. 

If you’re only bonding with your husband’s family on big occasions

like Thanksgiving or Christmas, you’re not really getting a lot of time to get to know people as individuals. Being intentional about doing it just might help.

No one’s perfect. Not even you. Someone once said that a happy marriage consists of two great forgivers. 

Hmph. What they should’ve added was a happy marriage also consists of being

willing to forgive your husband’s family! 

No one is saying to be a doormat or to not speak up for yourself. But when they do say or do something that rubs

you the wrong way, try and forgive them—even when they don’t ask you to. It’s a way of releasing the situation so that you don’t become bitter and resentful. 

At the

end of the day, they don’t live with you and they did give you your husband. Two silver linings to get you through the tough times with your man’s family.