Why do Mothers-in Law have such a bad reputation? Just this week I’ve heard several jokes on the subject, and it’s been discussed on the radio. Is there really something that happens to your mother once you marry, or is this just a convenient subject for comedians?
\nI have no doubt that there are mothers who pester about grand children, and it’s probable there are mothers who want the best for their children, and don’t have the sense to mind their own business. But I find it difficult to believe that it’s universal.<\/p>\n
\nAnd why do we focus on mothers, when it’s likely that fathers-in-law are just as bad? You don’t hear father-in-law jokes. You hear about fathers-in-law who watch football and smoke cigars with their sons-in-law, but the world pretends that the men don’t nag or interfere. HAH! They do, they just don’t get written up for it.
\nFourteen years ago we built our home with the intention of having my mother live with us. Things are not always easy, as you would expect in a house where three generations live, but my mother doesn’t qualify for the traditional MIL jokes. She doesn’t nag me about having children, and she adores Dear Husband! When she feels that I’m not being kind enough to him, she bakes him cookies. There are some who’d say DH deserves a halo for living with his mother-in-law, but I’d say he has life pretty easy. Mother refers to him as the “Boss.”
\nWe’ve had a long standing complaint in our family. I have three sisters and one brother. The girls have always said that Mother always did love our brother more than she loves us. (It was said tongue in cheek, but it hit a nerve.) Now, I can complain that not only does she love my brother more, but she loves my husband more, too. It’s a really good thing that Mother doesn’t use a computer, or I’d be in hot water for spilling the beans.
\nAside from some minor hurt feelings about not being the favorite, I guess I’m pretty lucky that Mother likes DH. I don’t want to contemplate what our lives would be like if she DIDN’T like him. Perhaps that’s where all the Mother-in-law jokes got started…..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Why do Mothers-in Law have such a bad reputation? Just this week I’ve heard several jokes on the subject, and it’s been discussed on the radio. Is there really something that happens to your mother once you marry, or is … Continue reading