It’s Sunday afternoon and you’re getting ready for dinner at your parents’ house. It's a weekly tradition that your family has preserved for years. You should be looking forward to it, but instead the anxiety starts creeping in.
What kind of snide comment will your mom make about your partner?
Will she tell you for the millionth time that she ran into your ex and that he is still asking about you?
Will your dad snub your partner, again?
Will this, once again, cause a Sunday night fight between you and your partner?
When your family doesn’t support your relationship - it sucks!
It feels like you are being pulled in opposite directions and there is no “right” way to go. You want to be there for your partner, but you also want to honor your family.
It leaves you in an impossible position. You have to justify your relationship to your family and then do damage control in your relationship.
It can feel like conflict is inevitable in all family situations, which undoubtedly sucks all the good out of what is supposed to be “good times.”
When your relationship isn’t supported by your family, it can feel hurtful, lonely, and isolating. The damage it can cause in your marriage and in your family is overwhelming.
There are ways to strategically set boundaries that help preserve your peace of mind and allow your partnership to thrive and family relationships to feel more pleasant and controlled. This week we are talking about:
Why family sometimes doesn’t support a relationship
How it feels when your relationship doesn’t get the support it needs from those closest to you
How this conflict can impact you as a couple
How to support each other when your families aren’t on board
How to set healthy boundaries with nay-sayer’s
We also made a very helpful bonus for anyone going through this - The Boundary-Setting with Nay-Sayer’s Worksheet - that allows you and your partner to put your relationship first and form healthy (and anxiety-reducing) boundaries with family and/or in-laws.
Listen:
Watch:
Show Notes:
SGR 001 - Communication that (Actually) Works
SGR 002 - Getting Back to the Honeymoon Phase - One Habit at a Time
SGR 004 - How to Get Divorced - What NOT To Do In Your Relationship
SGR 005 - How to Win A Fight
SGR 009 - Why Happy is Overrated
SGR 013 - When Married Life Doesn’t Feel Like A Fairy-Tale
Short on time? Here’s a list of today’s topics and when to listen:
Why families don’t support relationships at times - 2:08
How it feels when your relationship doesn’t get the support it needs from those closest to you - 8:22
How this conflict can impact couples - 13:08
How to support each other when your families aren’t on board - 18:59
Having empathy for your partner - 21:11
How to set healthy boundaries with nay-sayer’s - 25:07
Meredith and Marina’s Takeaways - 38:33
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