While you may have the liberty to choose your husband, the same can’t be said for your mother-in-law. She will just come with the package. See, when you get married to your partner, you also get married to your mother-in-law (MIL) in a way. Whether you love her or hate her, you just can’t ignore her. However, every MIL has some unique traits, the ones that make her stand out from your friend’s or sister’s MIL. And, of course, your interactions with her will vary accordingly. So, it is not necessary that if your friend’s MIL is a taskmaster, so will be yours. And, you might get defensive for no reason to a mother-in-law who is the most easygoing person ever. Now, you must be wondering how many types of MIL are there exactly. No need to ponder so much. Just stay tuned to find out:
1. The Jealous One
The thought of losing her beloved son to someone is what makes the mother-in-law jealous. This feeling of envy can come from even a tad bit of over-protectiveness where she may feel territorial about her son. And, also the thought that he might not love or care for her any longer can also bug her. And, winning such MILs over is no menial task. However, you can try praising her for how amazingly well she has brought up her son. You can also let her know how you would try inculcating the same values in your kid. This might just win her over.
2. No One Is Good Enough For Him
If this is how your mother-in-law is, you might have heard this dialogue for sure – “My son got so many great proposals, I still don’t know what he saw in you.” She may even dial down the brutal honesty a bit, but the message is just the same. She will let you know, time and again, that her son could have definitely done much better than you. In fact, she may not even hesitate while uttering these words in a room full of crowd. No matter how many efforts you make, it still won’t be enough to please your monster-in-law. In such a scenario, the best thing to do is – be honest and ask her directly. Try to understand why she doesn’t like you and work on the realistic expectations she has. Also, let her know how happy her son is with you and how you will not let either of them down.
3. The Bossy One
From the second you step into the house, she will set some ground rules for you. And, you know that you have no choice other than following the guidelines. In fact, if you live in a nuclear family, you will still face this issue. Every time your mother-in-law comes to your place, she will micromanage every small thing you do. She will let you know who the boss is right from day one. What to do, you ask? Just tell her that although you agree with her, you like certain things to be done in a certain manner. Of course, try to be as polite and diplomatic about it as possible.
4. The Perfectionist
Have you imagined how will it be if you have “Aamir Khan” as your mother-in-law? Confused? We were just referring to the MILs who want everything to be perfect to the T. Whether you are ironing clothes, chopping veggies, dressing up or taking care of your little one, she will expect you to be nothing less than perfect. You might feel like you are giving an agni pariksha (read: trial) each time you are around her but you need to relax and not be nervous. In fact, flatter her by saying that you would love to learn from her.
And, if your mother-in-law falls in none of these categories, you are one lucky girl. Your saasu maa (read: mother-in-law) is a saint. By the way, which category does your MIL fall into? Let us know in the comments section below.
