Mother-in-law. No other relationship has been more difficult to define and comprehend. It means different things to different people.
But there’s one thing that all mothers-in-law have in common they want the best for their sons or daughters.
Your husband becomes more important than your children to a mother-in-law as he is her last chance at having an impact on future generations.
The older you get, the harder it is to accept someone else’s vision of what your child’s life should be like. And very few of us want our mothers-in-law to move in with us.
Most of us want them far away from us, but not literally because let’s face it, they are our mothers, who we love and respect, no matter how offensive they can sometimes be.
The trick on how to make mother-in-law happy is probably knowing what makes her happy and avoiding any actions that could cause more tension than comfort.
A mother-in-law is a woman who is always there with valuable advice. She knows what you should or shouldn’t do. Often this advice is good but sometimes it’s not.
Do you want to know how to make your mother-in-law happy? How to make her feel that she is the most important person in your life? Most mothers-in-law are very loving and caring.
Some of them can be a little nagging and annoying. But this is a quality you have to learn to deal with. The good news is that you can adopt a few steps and get rid of this problem.
This article will give you a few tips that will help you to make your mother-in-law happy.
Ways to Make Mother-in-law Happy
Now that you have become a member of a well-established family, it’s time to learn some ways to make mother-in-law happy.
And yes, it’s completely possible because there are many husbands and wives who very successfully maintain a good relationship with their in-laws.
Everyone wants to keep their mother-in-law happy. It is every family’s dream to make their mother-in-law happy on special occasions.
This is important because happiness in the family is something that we all want. So, I can give you tons of tips that will help you make your mother-in-law happy in no time.
1. Cook Her Favorite Food
Cooking is a great way to show your love and appreciation for your mother-in-law. You can cook her favorite dishes, or find out what she likes and make it for her.
2. Compliment her
Complimenting your mother-in-law will make her feel good about herself. Be sincere when you compliment her.
She will appreciate it more if you tell her what you like about her rather than just saying things like “You look beautiful” or “Your hair looks nice today”.
You could also compliment something she did or achieved recently, such as “You made the best meatloaf I have ever tasted” or “I loved reading your book, mom.”
3. Show Your Care for Her
When it comes to showing your care for your mother-in-law, nothing beats spending time with her without any other member of the family around.
This will allow both of you to talk about things that matter to each other without having anyone else listening or interfering in your conversation.
This will help build trust between both of you, which is essential if you want a healthy relationship with your mother-in-law.
4. Listen to Her Advice
Your mother-in-law may not be an expert on everything but she has years of experience behind her back which can be very helpful for you in many ways.
If you want to make her happy then listen to her advice and follow it.
5. Involve Her in Decision Making
It is natural for you to want to make all decisions by yourself but it is important for your relationship with your husband’s family if you involve them in decision-making sometimes.
It shows respect towards them as well as confidence in their knowledge and judgment abilities. In return, they will feel much more connected with you which will lead to better relationships overall.
6. Be a good daughter-in-law first
The best way to win over your mother-in-law is by being a good daughter-in-law first. This means respecting her position in the family and treating her well at all times.
You should also do whatever she asks without complaining or arguing with her about it.
A good example would be helping around the house or taking care of children when needed instead of expecting her to do everything for you.
7. Find common ground with her
The first thing that you need to do is find common ground with her. If she likes something that you also like, then work on making it happen.
Take her shopping or out for lunch or dinner and enjoy the time together. One of the best things about having a mother-in-law is that she usually has a lot of wisdom to share with you.
She has been through it all, so she knows what works for her and what doesn’t. She may have some tips for dealing with kids or managing finances, which will help you immensely in your married life.
So find common ground with her and listen carefully to what she has to say.
Things That Make Mother-in-law Happy
If you are wondering whether keeping your mother-in-law happy is worth the effort, let me tell you that it is absolutely worth it and very important to know how to make her happy.
I know that sounds like a sales pitch but it is not. Making your mother-in-law happy will make your in-laws love you, and that is a must for any relationship.
Keeping your in-laws satisfied will show them how much you care for their daughter/son.
It will also let them know how responsible their daughter/son married which will get respect from the whole family.
Finding happiness in a relationship is the ultimate goal for everyone. Even the relationships you have with your mother-in-law are important to maintain.
Want to do something for your mother-in-law and make her happy? You are probably great in relationships, but have you put that to work on your mother-in-law? Well, I will tell you a few things that make mother-in-law happy.
8. Shopping for Mother-in-law
Shopping for a mother-in-law can be difficult since she may have different tastes from yours. However, if you take some time to get to know her better, then you’ll find it easier to shop for her.
You should also consider any occasion that might be coming up soon so that you can purchase something appropriate for the event.
9. Communicate with family members and mother-in-law
You have to communicate with your family members and especially with your mother-in-law.
If there are any problems between you two or if something bothers you, talk about it openly so that both parties understand each other better.
This way, there will be no misunderstandings or disagreements between both of you that may cause problems in the future between you two.
10. Tell her how much you love her son
This is the most important thing that you need to do. Let your mother-in-law know that you really care about her son and that you have respect for him.
If she feels that she has a daughter-in-law who loves her son, then it will make her very happy.
11. Support your partner. Don’t run behind his mother in case of any dispute
If there are any issues between your partner and his mother, you should never get involved in them or try to solve them on your own.
It is not your place as a wife to do so because your husband needs to learn how to handle these issues on his own.
If he has made up his mind about something, then he shouldn’t be persuaded by anyone else including you.
Wives need to respect their husbands’ decisions even if they don’t agree with them now or later on in life when things may change and become difficult for them as well.
12. Call her often
You should call your mother-in-law often, especially if she lives far away from you. It’s a good idea to call her at least once a week to hear how she is doing and ask about her day.
If she doesn’t want to talk about anything personal or private, don’t push her on this issue; just let her know that you love her and want to know how she is doing.
What to Avoid Doing or Saying to Mother-in-law
A mother-in-law is a very special (and sometimes, favorite) person in the lives of their sons and daughters. Hence, almost all of us want to keep our mother-in-laws happy.
But it’s not always so easy to do that if we don’t know what to do or say.
So, to help you in that regard, you will learn how to make mother-in-law happy and a list of things that you should avoid doing or saying.
What to avoid doing or saying to mother-in-law, because the first rule of having a good relationship with your mother-in-law is to avoid any conflict.
Everyone would want to stay on the good side of their mother-in-law. People want to avoid conflict with them as they can hurt you very badly.
Many people are afraid of their mother-in-law, just because of one or two negative incidents.
But the truth is that some mothers-in-law are not so bad, they just need a little attention and care and then they can be very nice and friendly.
Everyone dreads the idea of upsetting their mother-in-law. Unfortunately, it happens all too often, but often unintentionally.
To help you make your mother-in-law happy and show her appreciation as well as avoid problems. We have put together a list of tips and advice about how to do it right.
13. Don’t gossip
It is very important not to gossip about your mother-in-law in front of other people especially when she is around.
She will feel embarrassed if she hears something negative about herself from someone else’s mouth.
If you hear something negative about your mother-in-law from someone else, don’t mention it in front of her as well because she may get upset with you if she finds out that someone has been talking badly about her behind her back.
14. Don’t make jokes at her expense
It’s not funny to make fun of someone else’s looks or personality. It’s even worse when it comes to someone who has raised your husband and made him into the man he is today.
If you want to keep your mother-in-law happy then stop making jokes at her expense as this is rude behavior towards another human being and will only cause friction within the family unit.
15. Don’t complain about her to your spouse
If your mother-in-law is driving you crazy, don’t complain about it to your spouse. Instead, talk it out with her privately or ask him how he feels about it.
This will allow him to have his own say and not get caught in the middle of fighting between the two of you.
16. Don’t run and hide from her
Just because something goes wrong doesn’t mean you have to avoid your mother-in-law forevermore.
Work through whatever problems you’re having with her and try again even if it takes months or years for things to be okay again (which they usually do).
17. Don’t roll your eyes
You may think it’s a small thing, but rolling your eyes at your mother-in-law when she says something that makes you cringe will hurt her feelings.
Instead of giving a look that says “you’ve got to be kidding,” don’t react at all. If you need to leave the room, do so politely and then come back when she has calmed down.
FAQ
Can a mother-in-law be jealous?
Yes, she can. Women are by nature more jealous than men and this trait isn’t limited to their own husbands but also to their daughter-in-law.
If your mother-in-law is showing signs of jealousy it could be a toxic trait, it would be better if you try to understand her point of view rather than get upset with her.
After all, she has been married for years and knows what it takes to keep a man happy.
How important is a wife to her husband?
A wife is extremely important to her husband because she is his best friend and partner in life.
She shares his ups and downs and helps him in every situation in life.
He shares everything with his wife good or bad as he trusts her completely and wants her advice at every step of life’s journey together as a couple.
Does a mother-in-law like it when I talk too much?
If you want to make your mother-in-law happy, then stop talking too much.
You might feel that you need to explain yourself or justify your actions but this will only annoy her further.
She doesn’t have time for all those explanations so keep them to yourself.
Final Thought
You need to make her happy because she will make your life very easy in the future if she is happy with you.
In other words, keep your mother-in-law happy and it will be a win-win situation for both of you.
If a woman/man wants to be happy in her married life and doesn’t want their marriage to collapse, he/she must accept their mother-in-law and make her happy.
Improving the relationship with the mother-in-law is not enough to become a good daughter-in-law or son-in-law but it is also very necessary.
A woman/man must follow all the tips in this article and make marriage successful by making mother-in-law happy.
