How do I survive my mother-in-law’s visit? This is a question that is uppermost on your mind and then a volley of thoughts assault your mind. You even think how do you avoid the in-law’s visits? The truth is you can’t. They are your husband’s parents and your children’s grandparents and they will come to your home, whether you like it or not. But there are things you can do when in-laws visit.
10 Things You Think About When Your Mother-In-Law Visits You
The very thought that your mother-in-law is coming to stay with you might give you the jitters. You could be thinking the in-laws should not be visiting for too long and if you feel uncomfortable around your in-laws you might have to put up the pretense for some time that you are enjoying their company. But there are things that everyone keeps thinking when your mother-in-law visits you and you are no exception. Here are 10 thoughts that go through your mind.
1. “I should not panic”
If you are lazy types and have an equally lazy husband, then this will seem like the toughest exam for you. You will have nightmares of failing the cooking test and wake up half covered in sweat. OK maybe not this much panic but that initial alarm has gone off in your head even though you might not show it in front of your husband. You waste no time and begin to make a list of things to do along with their schedules. The next one month, you will be cleaning or organising something every weekend and that thought itself is so annoying.
2. “I have to get organised”
You might swim your way through your messy wardrobe otherwise, but now that you are expected to have your MIL over, you sort your way through the clothes and do that much-needed organising to your wardrobe. But when your mother-in-law visits you you don’t want to give her a single opportunity to criticise you. So you go on a cleaning over drive be it your wardrobe, room or even the bathroom.
3. “I need some quick recipes”
You quickly resort to YouTube and google for some new recipes which you can make to impress her and get those extra blessings from your MIL. This is also the time you will prove that you are not completely useless in the kitchen. She is a great cook and her son loves her cooking. But you want want to prove that you are no less of a star in the kitchen. If traditional is her forte you will stir up the continental stuff. She is not really the evil mother-in-law but she sometimes gets competitive in the kitchen and you want to prepare for that.
4. “She should not notice the dust and cobwebs”
Have you been making your way through the piles of non laundered clothes, dust balls gathered in the corner of the bookshelf and cobwebs that have been sitting so comfortably in every corner of your house? Do you know who will not fail to notice them? Exactly! Time to take out that broom and clean the hell out of that house. We know the thought is really irritating when you are doing long hours at work and kids are having their exams, but when your mother-in-law visits you your house does get its annual make-over. So look at the positives and the lessons learnt from the MIL.
5. “It’s skimpy out, traditional in for me”
OK flaunting your figure is something you love to do and your skinny jeans, your miniskirts and those denim shorts compliment your body. But that’s for some other time. When the MIL comes to live with you bring out the Punjabi suits, salwar kameez and Kurtis that you have kept separately for special occasions as what could be a more special one? Maybe the baggy shirts, long flowing skirts and the loose trousers will also do. And don’t forget to hide your sexy lingerie. Your life is an embarrassment enough. Do you need more? And if your mother-in-law hates you then it’s best not to look too attractive (yes we know that’s your thought too.)
6. “If I snooze, I will lose”
Practice waking up with just one alarm instead of the 10 that you snooze daily. And the alarm needs to be 2 hours before you usually wake up. You know she likes her tea at 6 am so better to wake up at 5 and get to work. But don’t push yourself too hard. With work, kids and household chores it’s not always possible to do her bidding so maybe for the first few days impress her and then go back to old routine.
7. “Where’s the party?”
Weekends are for house parties and sometimes even a few evenings on weekdays. But for the next month, reaching home late is not an option. Unless of course, you have to work late. Say bye bye to your awesome party life for a few days and say hello to daily soaps and long conversations about how you can improve yourself.
8. “Take out the take outs”
Time to hide those take-out menus that are your lifeline on weekends. Hide them in some place safe and get back to the kitchen to practice some home cooking so that you don’t burn the tadka in front of your MIL. If your mother-in-law loves to cook then you could be lucky to pick up some tricks and tips from her and show her how you can be the perfect daughter-in-law.
9. “I have to watch my tongue”
Slangs might be flying out of your mouth normally, but now that your MIL is coming over, watch your tongue honey. Or get caught in a very difficult position! If your mother-in-law is coming to stay and the in-laws plan to stay on for long then you need to polish your tongue to be that sober, dignified daughter-in-law all the time.
10. “I will argue less and agree more”
Your husband and you may be arguing about anything and everything under the roof, but not in front of parents. Even if you feel the urge to correct him, do it in person and not in front of his mother as she may not like it. These are some of the most important things you would do during your MILs visit. Relax and breathe. She might be a bit critical and doesn’t understand your way of doing things but remember not all her criticism is to be ignored. She might have some good points which can help you be a better person personally and professionally. You might even end up being the ideal daughter-in-law. And at the end of the day, remember she is a very important woman to your husband, so take everything with a pinch of salt. When your mother-in-law visits you try and enjoy her company and you never know you might end up having fun. You might be already thinking how often should in-laws visit? Guess you need to talk about your husband about that. Twice a year will be a good we feel.
