Posted by: Stiffler January 19, 2011
Living with in-laws in US
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I can imagine what you are going through and I think you need to change something here.

First of all, our culture has made it acceptable for a family to live with the groom’s side of family but kind of awkward to live with wife’s side. This is not your fault so it is not abnormal for you to feel strange. In our culture, son-in-laws are respected and that respect is hard to maintain when somebody lives so close to the that person, although it is not impossible. I also don’t think it is selfish of you to think it the way you are thinking, given our cultural norm.

Having said that, you cannot just ask your in-laws to leave. While it is strange that they are there for this long, there must be a reason why they aren’t going back home. Keep respect and cultures aside and think of them as two elderly people who want to live with you. They are also just not anybody, they are your wife’s folks so you have a responsibility here too. Given this, you have to take care of them and not ask to leave when they are with you.

But, like I said this awkwardness has to go away and thus you need change. A change could be in physical condition, i.e. they leave you, but this is not acceptable like I just mentioned earlier. Another change, which is more apt here, is a change in your thinking. You now have to accept that they are here for a long run. Like SIS and Chisomaan said, they could help you with many things, specially when you have kids. They are the family that you won’t have if they leave you in this far land. Take them as perk, not burden. Learn to enjoy their company, not disdain from it. Give them the respect they deserve and you will be happy.

Good luck.
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