Mothers-in-law are routinely depicted as evil troublemakers out to control and destroy the lives of their adult children. If issues arise amongst in-laws, the silent majority automatically defaults to the assumption that it’s the mother-in-law’s fault. When this occurs, perceptions become skewed and problems are rarely resolved successfully. There are untold numbers of mothers-in-law everywhere paying an enormous price because of the slanderous and degrading characterization of them by the bulk of humanity in general. It is time these beleaguered women are given the opportunity to share what the impact can be like for individuals who are the butt of derogatory jokes, demeaning or satirical story lines, and consistent portrayal as nasty shrews.
Mothers-in-law who are struggling because of society’s discriminatory attitude towards them will find support and encouragement in this book. Open minded daughters-in-law and sons-in-law are offered a fresh perspective if they are looking to find possible and often overlooked explanations for why the relationship they have with their mother-in-law is not working as well as it could be. Of utmost importance, if counsellors and clergy are willing to consider the possibility that they, along with their clients, could be harbouring destructive and disdainful subconscious biases regarding mothers-in-law, they will be given tools to overcome such obstacles. Unless acknowledged and properly addressed, these kinds of defamatory distortions will play a huge role in a family’s dysfunction and cause professionals to dispense prejudicial and damaging advice to those coming to them for direction and guidance. Readers will become aware of just how prevalent derogatory mother-in-law representation is in our culture thru the documentation of past, current and ongoing examples. In addition to addressing other unhealthy mental roadblocks and attitudes, practical suggestions and strategies are put forward that individuals can implement to repair the detrimental effects that the offensive mother-in-law stereotype has created.
