6 Things your Mother in Law wants you to know.

Mother in laws can be nightmarish, comical and sometimes just perfect. Every Mother in law secretly wants you to know these things.  Share your thoughts about this with us please, and let's add to this list if you are a mother in law or soon to be.

How about letting me feel like I am older and more experienced than you are? I know you are more modern than I am but that doesn't buy the wealth of experience I have. Please let me know when I have offended you, I can't really read your thoughts I know I am not perfect but you aren't either. No one is.“If you are feeling hurt by something I did or said, find a way to gently bring it up.

Please don't be judgmental of your husbands siblings, they are my children and I love them just as much.

Please do not feed strife between my son and his siblings, there are problems in every family including yours, kindly over look little things with grace. Reject bitterness and don’t judge. There are two sides to any story.

Love me and include me in your life

I also want to be part of your family so please treat me that way.I really appreciate it when you tell me about some of the family’s funny stories.It’s nice to be invited to events with your parents, brothers/sisters, etc., ... sharing as one big family.”Please include me in some of the family activities and traditions and I love it you ask me to go shopping and I know your husband would love that too 

Please take an interest in me.
I am a person with feelings, beliefs, and ideas, and they are not just an extension of the man you married.”Find things that we have in common, and let’s enjoy them together.”Please don’t compare me to your parents and how they did things. everyone is uniquely different, I can learn from you and you from me.

Remember your husband is still the love of my life, just as your children are, that I am still his mother and he will always be my baby

Even though you are the woman in my son’s life now, be considerate of the fact that I used to be the woman in his life.”The most important thing that you can do for me as your mother-in-law is to love my son unconditionally. You’ve now taken my spot as my son’s biggest fan. Allow me to please mother him sometimes too. if you give me the opportunity I'll mother you too.

Please tell me exactly how you feel about my statements when I'm in your home.
I wish you would express some guidelines that you expect in your home.Sometimes you interpret my desire to be helpful as criticism of you. I certainly do not intend this. It would help if you would tell me the best ways that I could help you.”

Culled from family life and written by  Mary May Larmoyeux