How To Handle Your Mother-In-Law During The Holidays
By Christina Steinorth. Posted on .
![How To Handle Your Mother-In-Law During The Holidays [EXPERT]](http://images.tangomag.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/node-full/image_blog/mil2.jpg "How To Handle Your Mother-In-Law During The Holidays [EXPERT]")
4. Don't react. Emotional bullies and other people who seem to strive to make you feel uncomfortable do it because they can tell by your reaction that they are successful in making you feel off balance. When you give a reaction to their attempts, they see it as they "got you." In short, your reaction reinforces their behavior.
5. Choose to "opt out." If you and your partner have tried your best to remedy your in-law situation and they continue to be unbearable, consider the option to "opt out." There will always be some people who will find their own agendas more important than familial harmony. However, just because you're married, you're under no obligation to be emotionally abused by toxic people.
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If your partner chooses to see with his parents, let him. They are after all, his parents. Take the time he wants to spend with his family and do something to nurture yourself — or better yet, spend the day with people who treat you right.
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Christina Steinorth, MA, MFT is a private practice Psychotherapist and the Author of Cue Cards for Life: Thoughtful Tips for Better Relationships. You can order her book here.
