Mother in law knows best?

LOL...VERY rarely is it the saas's intention to better the sweet little daughter in law who is stealing away her pyara sa bacha.

Constructive criticism is showing someone how to do something and gently telling them in a manner that is not offensive or rude. Publicly humiliating her in front of people is not constructive criticism. Thats called being an a**.

My MIL did that when she saw me wearing anything nice. She would always make comments about me not matching or my shoes arent right or soemthing else. In the beginning, I fell for it. I would go to my room, change things around and ask her for her opinion several times...imagine how much fun she had at my expense. I stopped when I realized the things she suggested were so ugly...she deliberatly tried to make me look bad.

Kaka, these are ladies who have already been through the process...are twice our ages and know how the world works. They are not bholi bhali, nadaan or innocent in any way, shape or form. They've had and raised children. They know how to soften the blow - IF they wanted to. They know what will offend. They know how to talk to people because in their lifetime and even during the rishta process...they have to use and call on their social skills to appear nice and approachable. They have had MILs of their own and have lived in joint family systems. They've dealt with all of the same pressures they're giving another woman.

Yet they still choose to act like a saas...but expect their DIL to act like their beti. :)

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I totally agree with you Reha. To all the girls who dont understand the MDIL feud- Imagine everything you ever did (even simple things LIKE PEELING AN APPLE) being scrutinized... sure there're a lot of things you could learn from your MIL and she does know more than you when it comes to cooking ( i dont think girls complain about learning new or better ways of doing things) but if she thinks you cant do ANYTHING right then I think you have a right to vent! :)

Re: Mother in law knows best?

In one ear, and out the other girls.

You have to plan it out, so you're not caught alone with her, and everything she says --> has to be said in front of her son.

You'll see, their mouths are pretty tame when their son is around.

Girls who have JOBS, don't typically need to deal with their MIL's too much. They get home when hubby gets home, and hubby can hear it all. :)

Now those of you who sit home and are trapped with your MIL, well, that's kind of your own fault, isn't it?

I have similar stories but I'll share them some other day. Btw, even if you live miles away from your MIL, you still can't escape these comments, whenever you go to see her or she comes to see you, the first comment has to be about the way you're dressing up.

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Tell her you are as equally smitten with the way SHE dresses as she is with the way YOU dress.

She'll shut her mouth up then.

Or, you can just say that you dont have money to buy better clothes, and if she gives you an extra 1000 dollars, you can go out and get yourself some proper designer clothes. That too, will shut her up.

Then keep the two women apart!

I don't understand why the guy's parents get to keep their son and his wife yet complain about her behavior. Why do they forget that the girl also has parents who may not be lucky enough to get a buy one get one free deal (bare a son get a maid for free mentality)? Isn't that enough reason for the girl to be bitter about the whole situation? Mother in laws have absolutely no authority over their DIL. It's their son who married her, not them.. They should be thankful that she agreed to keep the family together and shows her MIL some respect.

I have no brothers, I don't see a reason I should be expected to take care of his parents while neglecting my own. Sorry but these MILs should know better.

How would you feel if you were told that you would be working side by side everyday with your father-in-law for your whole life? And if you are okay with that, how would you feel if he had a know-it-all attitude? Imagine yourself dealing with your know-it-all father in law every second of the day.. wouldn't that drive you nuts?

So, in short, sincerity can never be expected from MILs? Would you girls be all the same when you have DILs?

Nothing personal, just curious about this beautiful social construct.

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Today's girls will probably make better MIL's - at least those of us raised abroad and more enlightened in the world's ways....

You know why? Because we're not crazy people like the folks back home points at head with finger in cuckoo motion

In short, sincerity can be expected but most girls are disappointed.

We're not talking about the rare MIL that decides to live and let live.

We're talking about the majority that actualy choose their DILs and then terrorize them.

To be honest with you...I will do my best to keep my nose out of their business. I dont plan on being a burden or getting possessive to the point that my DIL's life is hell because of my personal issues. I know what its like and I would never inflict that on anyone.

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Some women are just unlucky. they went through crap at the hands of their MILs/other in laws and then end up being treated no better by their own bahus.

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MILs usually want to show that they know better than us. They don't need to show but they do lolz. My MIL never agrees with whatever her daughter in laws say like her reply always starts from "NAHI..."but I don't give this much attention as I didn't get married just to change her these habits.

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She can say whatever she likes....doesn't bother me much, her comments annoy me for few days and then afterwards I just tell others and laugh at them.

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Well during the beginning days of my marriage my MIL used to TELL me that she had many other choices for his son and she never forgot to repeat it everyday. I used to listen to her silently then I just took it normal but then I also started feeling ODD in myself like what's the point of telling me again and again about the proposals of my husband :S I mean I wasn't dying to marry him either nor did I force her to convince his son to marry me. I know I was NOT the only one for him but it wasn't like I had no other choices. It got a bit annoying. I still don't understand that why she has been mentioning such things to me. I used to get hurt but now I don't pay much attention.

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^ my MIL always criticised her each and ever DIL that way too. Saying that her son could have got someone better , as if her sons are some princes with whom every girl on the planet is dying to marry. She criticised face features of her other son's wife infront of many people saying she has an ugly face and does not match her son at all . These women dont think before opening up their mouths.

But believe what goes around comes around. Do sabar & have faith on Allah.

oh really.... if they went thru soooooooo mch at the hands of their MILS y the hell r they doin the same mistake again and makin life hell for their bahus??? hmmm... they didnt learn from their lesson.. did they?

I said they end up being treated no better by their own bahus. Not that they dont treat them better.

sumtiems the bahu dus treat the saas nicely but the saas is always *****y... honestly i m such i mind my own business and dun talk mch or interfere... its only when she is nosy and tries to teach me things unnecessary that i want to retaliate in response.. so is saas just keeps her mouth shut and talk when necessary we bahus dun need to talk back or argue.. trust me.

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Whats wrong did she say?

If girl is perusing any professional career which requires lot of attention, normally they dont get involved in household work and learn it after.

Similarly I know many guys who cant put the freaking nail in the wood just because they were too busy with their studies and their father or some other brother took care of all these things...

Maybe in your circle all the saas's are churailein and teh bahus are doodh ki dhuli hui farishtein...

sadly I live in the real world where some saas'es are nice and some bahus are bad.

Please don't get offended..but I am really, really curious. Is your mom someone's mother in law too? Think before you write or say something. And the way you talk about your MIL, that's unnecessarily rude. Would you tell your own mom to shut her mouth??? Why is it so hard to respect your own husband's mom. If her close relation to your husband means nothing to you, then at least respect her as an elderly lady. Our religion tells us to be always respectful towards our elders.

So what if she gives you unwanted advice, you can politely listen. It wouldn't kill you.