I go into Christmas every year with low expectations for my husband's side of the family. They are notoriously bad gift givers, so I just go into it with the knowledge that the gifts don't matter, it's about our time together as a family.
He has always been whiny and entitled, but now he likes to yell, expecting silence in return. We live in a small house. What if I flipped out every time he disturbed my sleep? It's half my house! I'm disabled and retired and living on Social Security benefits. My wife refuses to back me up and tell her brother he doesn't get to disrespect me.
Dear Forced, I really wish I could get a glass of wine with you and hear about a million more details about your relationship with your mother-in-law, husband, and even this poor, anxious dog. But in the absence of knowing how you feel about these mammals, I've developed a conspiracy theory: Is it possible your MIL brought Chari on purpose, knowing you'd have to leave, because she was craving some solo time with her son?
Dr. Tracy Dalgleish, a clinical psychologist and author of "You, Your Husband, and His Mother" (out on November 4), told Business Insider that, in her nearly 20 years of experience, a common theme has been married couples wanting to build stronger relationships with their extended families. More often, daughters-in-law desired to get along better with their mothers-in-law. Dalgleish said women tend to be in charge of communicating and organizing events on behalf of the family.
Our niece (my husband's brother's daughter) is expecting her first child. While we are very happy for her, the way she announced her news, and some of her past actions, have affected my feelings toward her as they had directly impacted me, my husband and our kids. This niece announced her pregnancy to us (via FaceTime, as she doesn't live locally) at a family birthday dinner that was held for the combined birthdays of her father and our son.
I was at my mother's place last week, and I heard my stepfather make a racist joke about a popular children's character on the TV. I told my mother that I don't want her husband at my daughter's party or around my family in the future. She claimed "he was just making a joke" and that I'm taking it too seriously. I said as much to my mother and told her that either her husband stays home or they both do.