I've been married all of 11 days now and, as if on cue, the day my husband (still very much getting used to saying that!) and I tied the knot, he stopped putting the toilet seat down. I ignored it at first, but by our first weekend together as a married couple, I couldn't stand it any longer and said something to him about it. I made a jokey comment about his sudden change in behavior—more embarrassed than pissed at being such a cliché so early in our marriage. After over three years together, surely he must realize if … Read More

I was raised in a household that revolved around my mother. She was a narcissist, someone who, according to Wendy Behary, director of the Cognitive Therapy Center of New Jersey and author of Disarming the Narcissist: Surviving and Thriving with the Self-Absorbed is "often self-absorbed and preoccupied with a need to achieve the perfect image (recognition, status, or being envied) and have little or no capacity for listening, caring, or understanding the needs of others." My mom hasn't been formally diagnosed—few narcissists seek treatment or even recognize that they have a problem—but growing up, the signs … Read More

My DH wears socks riddled with holes. He likes them. He doesn't care and if he's happy, so am I. Everything would be okay, except his mom (who is fabulous btw) is constantly telling me that I shouldn't let him wear those socks and that its my job to "take care of him": buy him socks, throw away the old ones.I disagree. He's a big boy. He wants socks, he knows how to drive to Target. What do you think? Would you get your DH new socks? Or are you with me and let him take care of himself?

In the beginning of a relationship, most women look forward to the day their boyfriend pops the question that takes things to a whole new level. No, we're not talking about that question but rather, "Will you come home with me?"

Being invited to meet his parents is a big step that most girlfriends are happy to take. That is, until she meets his family.For some women, this changes nothing, but for most, meeting the loved ones of their loved one leaves them worried about a lifetime of holidays, birthdays, and other assorted gatherings with his brood. So, whether his … Read More

Ah the mother-in-law. She loves her son and wants what's best for him, which may or may not include you. The cliché, of course, is that you and your man's mother will have a rocky relationship. She'll critique your cooking, your taste in clothes, the cleanliness of your home, your child-rearing skills, your career choices. While this may not be true in all cases, a study by a British psychologist found that 60% of women felt tension with their mothers-in-law, compared with 15% of men.

Psychologist Terri Apter studied 49 couples and 156 individuals over 20 years, and … Read More

Nothing can strike fear into the most confident of women like a mother-in-law. A close second? A future mother-in-law (FMIL), or even more terrifying, meeting his mom for the first time (contain your shrieks of terror!) as she hosts you for the holidays.

Sure, most FMILs are warm-hearted, apron-donning rays of sunshine. But just in case you need to win her over, here are the perfect hostess (with a twist) gifts. With these in hand, you'll prove you're the one for her son.