Problems With Your Sister-In-Law? Here’s How to Keep the Peace… For the Family
She's supposed to be like a sister to you... but it doesn't always feel that way.
Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga were really acting like loving sisters during recent seasons of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. But their rollercoaster relationship took a dip once again after Teresa blamed her brother, Joe Gorga, for failing to be there for their father, Giacinto Gorga, during his recent health struggles. Joe said he's too busy running his business while Teresa moved her father into her house. Of course, Melissa defended Joe, which in turn upset Teresa.
There’s also sister-in-law drama in the U.K. Reports of bickering between Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton have emerged, after Kate was allegedly reduced to tears by Meghan during a fitting of her daughter Princess Charlotte’s bridesmaid’s dress at Meghan and Harry’s wedding in May. Kensington Palace even confirmed that Harry and Meghan were moving out of their cottage on the grounds, but a spokeswoman said it was just to prepare for their baby.
Well, it turns out, there are five types of horrible sister-in-laws, Martha Stewart reports: Bossy, nosy, jealous, competitive, and rude. Quora has an entire thread dedicated to people complaining about their SILs. One commenter did have some advice, writing: "Two cases. First one is you both don't like each other. If that’s the case just stay away from that person, have patience in you to tolerate if she does something bad to you, or ignore them. Second case is that sister in law likes you and you don’t like her. In this situation you can't do much, just have casual talks with her. Don’t show your hatred towards her and keep calm."
Family Education advised working with your spouse to try to maintain peace. "Dealing effectively with in-laws all starts with first working conflicts through with your spouse. Remember, you're in this together."
Set boundaries, stick to those boundaries, and communicate directly. "If something bothers you, address it as soon as possible. Sometimes it's a genuine problem; other times, it might be a misunderstanding."
It added: Be mature, be kind, and try to keep a sense of humor. Even if your sister-in-law is as vocal as Teresa Guidice.
