Is Your Son Pulling Away From You? Here Are The Real Reasons He May Be Doing So – Part 2  By Deanna Brann, Ph.D. NABBW’s In-law Survival Associate In the article I wrote last week, I shared the story of Janice and her son Peter. Janice was struggling with the changes in Peter’s behavior toward her: She was convinced that these changes were the result of Peter’s wife. She was sure her daughter-in-law set these changes in motion because she didn’t want him talking to her. Is this really what is going on? It could be. This does happen. A daughter-in-law can set into motion such... Read More

Is Your Son Pulling Away? Get the Real Reasons He May Be Doing So – Part 1 By Deanna Brann, Ph.D. NABBW’s In-law Survival Associate With all the strife occurring with the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, where does your son fit into the equation? Does he play a role or is he a victim of circumstance? The next few articles are going to address these specific questions and help shed some light on who he is and the role he plays. As I write in my book, Reluctantly Related: Secrets to Getting Along with Your Mother-in-Law or Daughter-in-Law, a son needs to emotionally separate from his... Read More

Daughter-in-Law Alert: Is Your Maternal Relationship Actually Hurting Your Marriage? By Deanna Brann, Ph.D. NABBW’s In-law Survival Associate Mothers and daughters have a rather unique relationship. Whether they are close or distant this relationship affects many of the other close relationships a young woman has in her life. As I explain to young women I counsel, “This relationship affects your relationship with your spouse, mother-in-law, sisters-in-law, and can even affect your relationships with your friends.” Having a distant or struggling maternal relationship is the... Read More

Are You Dealing with a Passive-Aggressive Daughter-In-Law? With a Bit of Understanding, You\’ll Soon Discover How to Beat Her at Her Own Game By Deanna Brann, Ph.D. NABBW’s In-Law Survival Associate A person who is passive aggressive in his or her behavior is difficult enough to deal with; when that person is a family member it is even worse. Dealing with this behavior (passive and unassuming on the surface, but nastily aggressive toward you underneath) can be incredibly difficult, draining, and frustrating. For mothers-in-law, dealing with a passive aggressive daughter-in-law can... Read More