Why you are at odds with your mother-in-law

Frantically , the bride and mother- in law should be inseparable; the woman being happy that someone befitting has claimed the heart of her son and the girl pleased that she has found another mother in the woman that raised the jewel she calls husband.


But Nollywood has painted a picture that these two women are destined to be constantly at each other’s necks. It is said that what we see in movies is a reflection of reality and not the movies enforcing ideas on people. Either way, this brings me to one of the reasons one might be at odds with the mother-in-law. Some ladies may have gotten married with a certain predisposition; that mindset that all mothers-in-law are wicked or troublesome.This explains why some ladies utter vile words like ‘I wish to marry a guy whose mother is late’. That’s just cold! This thought pattern colours what the lady does and affects the way she treats the poor woman without giving her a chance.


On the other hand, some women cause trouble for their daughters-in law and the reason is usually simple: fear. Women who are particularly close to their kids get jealous of their son’s wives, fearing that the son will not pay her as much attention as before anymore. They feel threatened by the ‘new’ girl so the onus falls on the man to set the record straight, making the mother feel loved and know that his wife’s role in his life is different from hers.

Also, what causes friction just might be a lack of compromise. Both women are very important to the man and this is what they must understand. Each should play her role in his life without seeking to outdo the other; it is not a competition. The bulk of the matter is in understanding each other too. Know the kind of person the mother-in-law is to avoid friction.