I’M DOWN AND SHE’S KICKING ME

Dear Coleen

My mother-in-law has always been opinionated and often sticks her nose in when it’s not welcomed. She can also be quite funny, which is why

I’ve turned a blind eye.

However, recently I’ve been going through a tough time financially and with my business, and even though she doesn’t have a clue what she’s talking about, she keeps trying to tell me what I should do.

To cut a long story short, my business partner lost us a lot of money through stupid deals, which he didn’t tell me about, leaving me broke.

I’m taking it to court and it’s been very stressful, but on holiday, my mother-in-law gave me a really hard time, blaming me for the mess we’re in (my wife and I have two young kids), which really hurt and I was angry with her. It ended up in a row and my wife didn’t back me up, which hurt even more. Have you any advice?

Coleen says

I think you should talk to your wife and tell her you need her support right now and your mother-in-law’s attitude is adding to your stress. I’m hoping she’ll have a gentle word with her and tell her to back off!

Times like this are very challenging in relationships and you need to be careful it doesn’t start driving you and your wife apart – it’s really important that you’re united and strong for each other.

It’s your best chance of getting through it with the least amount of stress.

It’s also important that each of you can talk about what’s worrying you and not let resentment build up.

As for your mother-in-law – do you have to see a lot of her? I imagine it might have been more intense on holiday, as you were stuck together for a week or two, but, now you’re back home, create a bit of space between you. Hopefully, she’ll reflect on what she said and be kinder to you as a result.