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I have been married for a year and my mother-in-law has turned into a different person from what she pretended to be before our wedding. She now finds fault with everything I do and spends most of her time telling my husband about how I can't do anything right. My husband doesn't believe her but he doesn't have to deal with her either, so the stress of managing this relationship is mine alone. We are saving up for a place of our own, but I don't know how I will cope until then. What can I do to make this more manageable?
Friction between daughters and mothers-in law is as old as time itself, even if it does sound like a cliché. If you know you will soon have a space of your own, it's just a question of hanging on and keeping an eye on that big picture until then. Having said that, it doesn't hurt to try and understand where your mother-in-law is coming from. Is this because of some insecurity on her part? Is there something she is struggling to deal with? Marriage may be a new experience for you, but is also new for her in that she has to watch her son become a man and not rely on her anymore. It can be an emotionally difficult time for some mothers, so trying to empathise with her may actually enable you to see her actions in a new light and deal with her behaviour more effectively. If she doesn't respond to this positively, you may simply have to try and find a way of not letting her get to you. This will be easier said than done, of course, but may be the only way of dealing with the situation until you move out.
I'm not sure if my boyfriend is lying about his past. How do I find out if he is?
What about his past are you referring to? I'm afraid you will have to be a little more specific.
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