Take Two translates the day’s headlines for Southern California, making sense of the news and cultural events that affect our lives. Produced by Southern California Public Radio and broadcast from October 2012 – June 2021. Hosted by A Martinez.
With just two days until Thanksgiving, some of those classic holiday anxieties are setting in. One big source of stress - our families. Within our families, there's one relationship that's statistically likely to be a tough one.
It's the age old tension between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Turns out the conflict is more than just a sit-com cliche.
For more, Take Two's Alex Cohen spoke with psychologist Terri Apter. She's the author of "What Do You Want from Me? Learning to Get Along with In-Laws."
What can you do to mitigate the tension?
Understand that a lot of the tension arises from anxiety that they are going to be eased out of one another's lives or that one is going to lose power. The best thing is to reassure your mother-in-law that even though I need to set boundaries, I do value you and I do want to include you always in this family. The family has changed because of the marriage but nonetheless, you are a party of it and I do value you.
If each can give the other that message, then the anxiety which so often gives rise to that tension, and that nervousness, and that hyper criticism— that will go.
*Quote edited for clarity.
To hear the full interview, click the Blue Arrow above.