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Dealing with Holiday Conflicts (and Satisfying Your In-Laws)

Parents often don't realize the problems their married children experience as they try to balance loyalties to their own parents as well as to their in-laws and spouse during the holidays. If the older generation didn't experience the same stress, they may not be able to understand how difficult this problem can be to their children, especially to young couples just setting their own boundaries in the relationship. So, what can you do to deal with the conflicts in-laws can cause during the holidays? Here are some suggestions.

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Be Loyal To Your Mate

Your first allegiance is to your spouse. No matter how heavy a guilt trip your relatives lay on your shoulders at holiday time, recognize that you and your spouse are a couple. By promising to love, honor, and work through the toilet seat issue, you have created your own family. Now that you're a team, work as one.

This doesn't mean that you should throw out your family and in-laws as you would your old Partridge Family albums. Instead, make your in-laws a part of your new family, the one you have formed with your beloved.

Next: Make A Decision

More on: Marriage and Divorce

Excerpted from The Complete Idiot's Guide to Dealing with In-Laws © 1998 by Laurie E. Rozakis, Ph.D. All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Used by arrangement with Alpha Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

To order this book visit Amazon's web site or call 1-800-253-6476.

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