6 Things Your Mother-in-law Teaches You

Marriage means forging new bonds, not only with the person you marry, but also each other’s respective families. While the new bride might generally get along well with most of the members of her new family, she may, however, dread her mother-in-law. It is due to the fact that young women end up expecting their mother-in-law to be exactly like their mothers or a be total vamp. But if she accepts her mother-in-law just the way she is, or maybe, like a teacher who gently corrects her to help her, chances are she may be able to look beyond the prejudice and end up forming a warm relationship with her mother-in-law. On that note, here are 6 things a mother-in-law often teaches her daughter-in-law:

In This Article

1. New Recipes

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Each family has its own special cuisine which gets enhanced with the addition of a new family member over the years. Which is why there may be some or hardly any similarities between the food that you and your husband have formed an affinity to while growing up. As you try to get accustomed to new tastes, here’s where your mother-in-law comes into pictures. With years of experience, she would have mastered those delicious dishes, some of which you might be tasting for the very first time. And she’ll be generous enough to share her secret recipes with you to take the family tradition forward.

2. Helps You Know Your Husband Better

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It is true that no matter how much you know a man before marriage, you’ll never really know the ‘husband’ in him. During courtship, men may be at their best behavior since it’s all about creating an impression then. But after marriage, you may have trouble getting used to his quirks and tantrums. Your mother-in-law will help you sort your confusion by giving some insight into his childhood habits, his likes and dislikes, etc, for no one knows a man better than his mother.

3. Task & Time Management

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While most of us would’ve been a good helping hand to our mothers, we were rarely the person in-charge. Since we’ve never had that opportunity, it’s hard to fathom the pressure that comes with being responsible for an entire household. Your mother-in-law can help you a great deal by teaching you how to achieve the balancing act. The best part is that you’ll not be burdened with the said responsibilities at one go. You’ll learn to take each responsibility one by one until such time when you are completely ready, thanks to your mother-in-law’s backing.

4. Being A Good Hostess

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Remember those innumerable occasions when your mother would have coaxed you to stay home when relatives came calling. You’d rarely bothered about maintaining relationships, especially with distant or elderly relatives. Being a daughter-in-law comes with its own set of expectations as you are now considered a responsible representative of not only your in-laws, but also your own family. Your mother-in-law can help you win people over with your hosting skills by letting you know the preferences of every extended family member.

5. Damage Control

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Despite your mother-in-law’s guidance, it may be difficult for you to keep up with the whims of every family member or guests. There may be occasions when you might make a slip or things would spiral out of hand. At such times, your mother-in-law pitches in for some damage control as she’s aware that the family reputation is at stake.

6. Child Care

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This the most endearing lesson a mother-in-law can teach you. While it’s natural for your mother to care for you, it’s your mother-in-law who puts aside all the differences and cares for your child wholeheartedly. She’ll help you with the diaper duties, feeding and may also pitch in during those late nights despite knowing she may not earn any brownie points for it!

For years, mothers-in-law have always been projected as a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Setting such prejudices aside, view them from a different perspective. You’ll be surprised to discover a completely different side to the story.

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