5 Clever Ways To Deal With An Overly-Critical Mother-In-Law

When you are looking for your soulmate, you often tend to forget that you are going to be marrying his entire family. It is pretty natural since it is a task in itself to find someone you get along with let alone his relatives. Unfortunately, even the most awesome in-laws can’t help themselves from being overly critical. And more so when it comes to the mother-in-law. Even if she completely adores you and can’t imagine a life partner better than you for her son, you are still your own person and may have a different way of doing things. And, this may cause some conflict at one point or the other.

However, if you feel that your mother-in-law is going overboard with her criticisms, it is a cause of concern. It may be an issue if you voice out your emotions but you may feel miserable if you don’t. However, it is important to remember that your happiness matters too. So, even if you respect your mother-in-law immensely, your silence should not end up making situations worse. Here are some of the ways you can manage an overly-critical mother-in-law:

In This Article

1. Try To Know Her Side Of The Story

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There are many times when a mother-in-law doesn’t even realize that she is being too critical. In her mind, she might be just helping you out. Older people generally tend to give a lot of advice given the amount of wisdom and experience they hold. But, at times, too much of it seems more like a criticism than help. So, it is important that you put yourself in her shoes and understand her perspective. You will realize that she is just trying to offer you help in a way that she knows best!

2. Change The Subject

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Suppose you are having a normal conversation with your mom-in-law but you sense it moving towards criticism, try to change the subject as smoothly as possible. You can always try and shift the focus. Start talking about her instead. For example, if she is advising you about how to parent your child, first let her know that you are going to work on it. And, then immediately start talking about her, urging her to open up about her life. We are sure that she is going to appreciate having someone who listens to her.

3. Just Wait Patiently

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To be frank, with the family setup these days, there are chances that you may meet your mother-in-law only once in a while. If that is the case, try to shrug the entire situation off. Though it may feel frustrating, there is no point addressing it and creating unnecessary drama if it is not a continuous issue.
But, if you stay with your mother-in-law, don’t keep your feelings bottled up. This may cause a lot of resentment, which is not good in the long run.

4. Have An Honest Discussion With Your Partner

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It is always good to have a discussion with your spouse and inform him about the situation before talking to your mom-in-law. It is a strong possibility that he may not even have an idea about how you have been feeling. But, remember not to be brash when you bring up this topic. After all, it is his mother you are talking about. Since he has grown up with her, there are also chances that he may know how to deal with the situation smoothly.

5. Talk To Her Directly

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Yes, consider talking to her directly. Just don’t make it sound like allegations and try to be as sympathetic as possible. Emphasize how you understand that the advice is meant to help her but the criticism hurts you at times. Talk about how it is not what she says, but how it comes across sometimes. The best case scenario is that she may have no clue about how it is impacting you. And, in fact, may even feel happy that you opened up with her.

Do you have other suggestions in mind? If yes, please let us know in the comments section below. Good luck, ladies!

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