Building friendships with the in-laws
The best idea for any marriage is to get along with the in-laws as best as you can. Building friendships with the in-laws may be hard at first but it will reap many rewards in the many years to come.
Patience with your new found in-laws will help you to build friendships. You have essentially replaced them in your significant others life. There can be a lot of tension on both sides when you are newly married. Having some patience and understanding about where your in-laws are coming from can make less tension. Be patient and don't try to rush a relationship. Giving your in-laws some time to get to know you and how you will fit into the family will help you to start a friendship with your in-laws.
Have some tolerance for your in-laws and how they do things. Many habits of your in-laws may drive you crazy but they may feel the same way about your habits. Both sides need to be more tolerant if you are trying to build a friendship. This may mean that you are more tolerant at first in their home or in their company. You are the new addition to the family after all.
|
|
Building friendships with your in-laws can be done the same way as you would with any other friendship. Talk to your in-laws like you would with any new friend. Compliment your in-laws about their home or clothes. Ask questions of your in-laws about when they met or vacations they took. The best questions to ask is about how your significant other was as a child. Ask for stories about your significant other to help get conversations going. Get to know your in-laws as more than just the parents or siblings of your significant other. Taking the time to get to know them will go a long way in creating a friendship.
Invite your in-laws to dinner or other outings. This will help them feel that you care about them and want them to be a part of your life. Have dinner nights once a month if you can, dinner is a great socializing event. If you live near your in-laws you can invite them to shopping or golfing trips. Let them become a part of your life too. Don't wait for them to always include you. Friendships work both ways no matter who you are trying to build the friendship with.
If you live far away from your in-laws you can still get to know them through technology. E-mailing is a good way to keep them up to date on you and your significant others life. You can tell endearing stories about your significant other or you can keep them up to date on the happenings in both your lives. This opens you up to other conversations that can be started. Blogging is another way that you can keep a friendship going with your in-laws. Blogging can be used instead of e-mail to keep your in-laws up to date on what is going on in your life.
Friendships are built a little at a time and getting to know your in-laws will help you to build a friendship with them. Don't expect them to like you right away, be patient. Be tolerant of their life and traditions. They may seem strange to you at first but these are the same traditions that your significant other may want to incorporate into your new family. Take the time to understand your in-laws, after all they are the ones that grew up with your significant other.
