In-Law-Marriage-ProblemCopyright by Steven M Cohn, PhD Your in-law-marriage-problem might be the stuff of late night TV monologues. Whether you've been married for a few months, or for many years, in-law marriage problems are nothing new. The truth is that in-laws can be a friend of the marriage by offering advice, wisdom, and love. On the other hand, in-laws can turn your marriage into a bubbling caldron of arguments. Some in-laws just don’t seem to understand the meaning of the word “boundaries.” By calling too often or stopping by unannounced, these well-intentioned in-laws cross over the boundary of respect and leave you feeling trapped, controlled, and/or smothered. Another common variety of intrusiveness comes in the form of parents who seem to want to see their married children as less than adult. These moms and dads just can’t stop parenting. Here, in-law-marriage-problems arrive at the doorstep in the form of criticism, unsolicited advice, and/or “marriage counseling” of all things. On the other end of the spectrum are parents who become dependent on their married children. It’s all well and good to "be there" for your parents and those of your spouse. Sometimes though, support turns into co-dependence and parents turn into dis-empowered “victims.” Whether this dependence is emotional or financial, it can put an undue burden on any marriage. If you or your spouse struggle with any of these in-law marriage problems, read through the following articles and give some thought to seeing a Relationship Specialist.
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One of the most common complaints related to in-laws is intrusiveness.
