37 Mother-In-Laws Who Brought More Horror Than Halloween Ever Could

So many movies, television shows, and books depict how bad mother-in-law relationships can get, and research shows that in real life, 60% of daughters-in-law have a strained relationship with their partner’s mom. They often mention that they feel depressed, stifled, and infuriated by the controlling actions of the older woman.

Notably, only 15% of these relationships with sons-in-law are strained, which may be because women might find it harder to understand and sympathize with one another. Whether it involves household chores, the marital relationship, or even normal everyday choices, daughters-in-law might struggle to gain independence from their spouse’s mom, and the older woman might find it hard to give up control of her offspring.

Everyone has probably faced conflict with their parents at different points in life, and that might have been easier to deal with, but disagreements with in-laws can be hard to handle. According to the New York Post, around 44% of men and women report having more arguments with their mothers-in-law than with their own moms.

Even older women report more conflict with their son’s spouses (18%) than with their daughter’s partners (17%). This shows that the trope has some truth to it: women have a slightly harder time getting along with their spouse’s mom, and it’s not just in their heads.

When people get married, they rarely consider what their relationship with their in-laws will be like, but that can be a tough bond to handle later on. According to the BBC, part of why navigating this kind of connection is so tricky is that there isn’t a rulebook for dealing with a spouse’s parents.

With relatives and loved ones, you might have shared understanding, beliefs, or past connections to build on, but with in-laws, you may have no common ground to bond over. That’s why at first, everything might be different and awkward, which is exactly where disagreements can arise.

It’s not just different upbringings or cultures that can spark disagreements with in-laws; parenting can also be a point of contention. Research has found that folks with children tend to experience more conflict with their own parents and their spouse’s family. This usually happens after the birth of their first kid, meaning grandparents might begin to interfere in the little one’s upbringing and find fault with what the parents are doing. 

In the early child-rearing years, especially, mothers-in-law might have more contact with the baby and end up overstepping in their attempts to show support and care. This can be hard to navigate and must be handled with care.

How to raise children and the best way to run a home can be sources of conflict, but one important issue many people overlook is holidays. During festive moments, folks might find it harder to set boundaries with their in-laws because traditions and family celebrations keep getting in the way.

One person’s parents might have always had a day-long Christmas get-together, but once a couple is married, their spouse might want to do something differently. This can cause a lot of strife between people and their in-laws because both sides might not understand each other’s perspective.

In the olden days, folks lived in communities with their extended family and relatives nearby. This way of living might have helped when people needed support with household chores and child-rearing, but it also led to tiffs, conflicts, and arguments.

With many generations living under one roof, it can be hard for people to speak up against their in-laws or voice their opinions, which can build up resentment. That’s also probably why mothers-in-law kept trying to assert their rights, which may have come across as more controlling and tough to handle.