Hi everyone! We are starting something innovative and brand new. We’re asking ChatGPT for advice for an ongoing series of blogs that feature relationships and dating inquiries as received from artificial intelligence.
It’s an interactive, stimulating, and unique way to get all the answers to your most-asked questions about the good, the bad, and the messy of your dating situations. ChatGPT will give their take, and we’ll give you ours. This won’t be generic information, either. You’ll get honest actionable feedback that you can use to strengthen your relationships.
Do you have a specific question you want to ask? If so, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us with anything about your boyfriend, girlfriend, loved one, coworker, or any type of relationship, and we’ll be sure to get back to you. Congratulations! You’ve just entered the next phase of how to have a happy and healthy relationship.
What Should I Do if I Don’t Like My In-Laws?
ChatGPT Said:
Disliking one’s in-laws can be a difficult and uncomfortable situation. However, there are some steps you can take to manage the situation:
- Be honest with yourself and your partner: Identify the specific reasons why you don’t like your in-laws and communicate these concerns to your partner in a calm and respectful manner.
- Set boundaries: It’s important to set boundaries and communicate your needs to your in-laws. For example, if you prefer not to spend the holidays with them, make sure that your partner is aware and able to communicate this to the rest of the family.
- Try to find common ground: Look for things you have in common with your in-laws and focus on these shared interests as a way to build a relationship.
Our Response:
In a perfect world, we would get along with everyone, especially our in-laws. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. A specific reason wasn’t given for why you don’t like your in-laws, so we’ll just keep it general.
Do you remember being younger and getting mad at your sibling or best friend? It wasn’t a great feeling, was it? If it was your brother or sister, you had to sit at the dinner table together while giving the silent treatment because just looking at them would piss you off. Avoiding someone is not a good feeling and takes up too much energy. Luckily, after a day or two, those feelings subsided, and you were cool with each other again.
Fast forward to today. The people you don’t like are your in-laws, which makes family holiday parties, picnics, and vacations uncomfortable. Let’s agree that while the in-laws may not be your cup of tea, at the very least, you should be cordial. Even if they’re the most annoying people on the planet, why let them exhaust your energy when you could focus on something more positive?
1. Be Honest with Yourself
and Your Partner:
Identify the Specific Reasons Why You Don’t Like Your In-Laws and Communicate These Concerns to Your Partner in a Calm and Respectful Manner.
We completely agree with ChatGPT when it answered you should be honest and identify why you don’t like the in-laws. And yes, we agree you should tell your partner the reasons, BUT ONLY IF IT’S A SITUATION YOU CAN’T RESOLVE ON YOUR OWN.
In other words, involving your partner may be more distracting if it’s a small issue. For example, you have a problem with your mother-in-law constantly giving the children candy. This is an issue you can address. Respectfully, tell her how you feel. If she agrees and stops, HOORAY! the problem is solved, and no one got hurt. However, if it continues, then yes, by all means, discuss it with your partner.
2. Set Boundaries:
It’s Important to Set Boundaries and Communicate Your Needs to Your In-Laws. For Example, if You Prefer Not to Spend the Holidays with Them, Make Sure That Your Partner Is Aware and Able to Communicate This to the Rest of the Family.
Holidays can be a touchy subject, so you should proceed with caution. ChatGPT suggests setting boundaries. Yes, we agree with that also. However, people are busy with other issues in their lives. There’s so much going on today that we don’t have the time or patience to deal with bullshit.
If you don’t want to spend the holiday with them, respectfully tell them so. But make sure your partner is on board with that decision, or else we’ll be discussing a different relationship issue.
3. Try to Find Common Ground:
Look for Things You Have in Common with Your In-Laws and Focus on These Shared Interests as a Way to Build a Relationship.
One way to avoid conflict is not to be around it. In other words, the in-laws can’t bother you if you’re not there, right? But, if you would like to work on a relationship, then yes, attempt to find a common interest and focus on that.
On the flip side, you have a full, beautiful life. You may have a wonderful job, an attentive spouse who loves you, and happy, healthy kids. What you don’t have is time for negative energy.
It’s OK not to love your in-laws. But they are in your life, so always be respectful in their presence. If you’ve exhausted all your resources and can’t kumbaya the relationship, you’ll be OK because you have so much more going for you. Good luck, and thanks for your question!
