Winning With Your In-Laws

Studio 5 Relationship Coach Matt Townsend walks us through the winning game plan.

Know Your Boundaries

• Parents

o No OBGYN visits

o Don’t just walk in their house

• Respect the privacy of others

• Assume nothing

Treat them as a person not a function

• Remember they are not just babysitters or baby-makers, your in-laws are also people that need to be respected as such.

• Get into their lives. Treat them like a friend, care about their concerns, their schedules and time.

• Ask them about how they are doing and what is going on in their lives.

• Don’t assume that their lives are done because they’re so willing to help. Respect their time and outside interests.

Always Honor Who’s #1

• The most important relationship is the husband and wife. This is important for both the parents and the adult children to remember. Parents should never “out rank” your spouse.

Remember the 4 C’s

• Don’t Compare

o Don’t compare yourself to your in-laws. You’ll never win in the end because one is a lover and the other is a mother.

• Don’t Compete

o How do you ever really compete with your kid’s grandparents or your grandchildren’s parents? In the end everybody loses in that contest. Enjoy your unique and different roles.

• Don’t Complain

o Nobody wants to hear only the negative points of another, especially someone they care about. Complaining about your in-law makes your spouse or child feel caught in the middle.

• Don’t Critique

o You can’t talk negatively about an in-law without hurting the person that loves both of them.

For more information, you can contact Matt at www.matttownsend.com.