# My family hates my wife



## jaks

My wife and I are married 1 year, together nearly 10. I've always known that there was some tension between my family and her, particularly between my mother and her. To me, it almost seemed normal, that common feud between a wife and her mother-in-law. But I just found out over the weekend that just about everyone on my side of the family hates her. I get the feeling that they are all just hoping that I eventually get divorced. Right now in my relationship, I am mostly happy (is anyone ever really completely happy?). My wife and I rarely fight, we get along very well I think. We have some issues like any couple, but nothing too major. Most of our issues seem to stem from family conflict, and I'm afraid that my marriage is under attack from my family. I don't want to end up one of those couples who has to disown one side of the family to stay together. I'm convinced that I can have my marriage and my family relationships too. I'm just not sure how. 

My wife and mother have done the sit-down thing, tried to work out their issues, but without any resolution. They still are always at odds, my mother convinced that my wife hates my family and wants to take me away from the family. And my wife is convinced that my mother is out to get her and wants to sabotage us. Neither of which I think is true, by the way. On top of that, I found out just this weekend that the unrest extends to my brother, my aunt and uncle, cousins, their spouses, etc. Everyone hates my wife, and they think that I'm unhappy. I found out that everyone talks about this, everyone wonders if I'm really happy with a woman that they all apparently think is a horrible person. Now they're even asking me directly, "Are you really happy?" They say I've changed, I've adapted to my wife's personality and gotten used to her. I think I've changed a little, but I think she has changed as well and that's what marriage is about, compromise and adapting to each other's personality's and lifestyles. 

So after trying to get my head around this for a while now, I'm at a loss as to what I can do. Anyone ever been through this family drama before? How did you cope and how did you work it out? Is there any way to make everyone happy in this situation?


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## foolz1

You don't state a reason for your family's dislike of your wife, but many times there doesn't have to be a valid reason for not liking your in-laws. I have noticed over the years that their "dislike" is often pure jealousy. I also know from experience, that it is far more easy to blame everything that the in-laws don't like on the daughter-in-law or son-in-law. Unfortunately, it happens all the time. If you find that hard to believe, view the *I Hate My Inlaws* website for some eye openers. :banghead:


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## jaks

foolz1 said:


> You don't state a reason for your family's dislike of your wife...


They think she is a miserable person, always unhappy, crabby about something, unappreciative, and not interested in bonding with my side of the family. They think she is all about her family and would rather have nothing to do with my family. 

The way I see it, she maybe just needs to work on showing her interest in my family. I always thought it was obvious, but maybe not. Like the time she made a long car trip to visit my parents just days after having her appendix removed. We had planned the trip for months, and she didn't want to miss it. While there, she was in some pain and was visibly uncomfortable, I thought obviously from the surgery. However my mother interpreted it as her being unhappy to be visiting. If she didn't want to go see my parents, she had ever reason to just stay home and rest from the surgery, but she made the trip anyway because she knew it meant a lot to my mother and she wanted to be there. My mother doesn't see it that way. 

On the other hand, my wife does do some things that I think are appropriately interpreted by my mother as being a bit divisive. Like forgetting to invite important members of my immediate family over for the holidays, while extending the invite to my wife's sister's in-laws. 

To further complicate things, I think both of them do things that are completely harmless and inconsequential, that they end up interpreting as earth-shattering events that were clearly done to take a stab at the other person, when that's just not the case and no ill intentions were ever meant. 

Basically there is a huge divide between my wife and my family right now. Everyone is cordial in person, and I guess we all fake it and act like things are just peachy. But behind the scenes, I know that they hate her and I think she is growing to dislike most of my family (I know she already hates my mother). I'm just not sure if this divide can be mended and how to do it. With my mother, I guess I should almost expect that there will always be issues. How many people get along with their mother-in-law anyway? But I can't tolerate my whole family being at odds with my wife, and with her now developing a resentment with them and further complicating the matter.


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## foolz1

Jaks, your wife should always be your number one priority. Unless she is clearly in the wrong, she should always have your support. Some in-laws seem to find fault with anything a daughter-in-law/son-in-law does, and that is just plain wrong!


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## jaks

Absolutely, my wife is my priority. I just feel like I'm headed for a situation where I have to make a choice once and for all, and I don't like where that leads (disowning my family). I used to have a great relationship with my family, especially my brother. I hate to even think about where this is going to lead unless I can somehow mend things between my family and my wife. 

The tricky part is that my wife isn't blameless in all of this. Generally I think she is right, but not 100% of the time. So it's not just a matter of setting my family straight about my wife and asking that they show some respect or anything like that. I think she needs to work a little bit to get on good terms with them as well. I guess I'm just stumped about how to make that happen. I know approaching my wife about this would have to be a very delicate matter. Obviously I can't say, "Hey honey, my family hates you." And similarly with my family, I don't want to throw down an ultimatum and say, "Accept my wife or get out of my life." There has to be a way to bring my wife and family closer together and reduce the tension.


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## Sven

You definitely need to tell your family to back the F off. You're wife is first. Marriage is the union of a man and woman WHO LEAVE THEIR PARENTS to join together. Wife first. Other relations are far down the priority list.

It's a good idea for a couple to move away from family, especially at the start of a marriage.

Seriously - this isn't even a contest. My MIL is a pain but my wife chose me over her. I'm fortunate that when my mother met my future wife for the very first time the first words out of her mouth were "Mi case es su casa". It just built a relationship between them.

As a parent, I know that I need to accept anybody that my girls marry. He'll be their choice, not mine.


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## donlyone

Jaks,

What happened with your situation? I am going through something very similar to you and am looking for answers too! Did you discover anything?

Thanks for your help.


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## Crankshaw

donlyone said:


> Jaks,
> 
> What happened with your situation? I am going through something very similar to you and am looking for answers too! Did you discover anything?
> 
> Thanks for your help.


for me, I stopped contact with my family, have only just started contact with them in the last month or so (since marriage probs escalated)


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## DanF

If I were you, I would sit down with all of my family members who are at odds with my wife and find out firsthand what their problems are. If you think that the problems are inconsequential, tell them so. Also tell them that you have chosen to spend your life with this woman and that she is your priority.
Then tell your family to either embrace her as a family member or suffer losing you.


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## 5boys

I am going through this right now, my husband's family doesn't like me due to them loving his ex wife, they have never taken the time to get to know me, I have had talks with the family as well nothing has helped. I don't know your whole situation but make sure to let your wife know you love her, my husband is so unsupportive and tells me to get over it but it hurts in our situation he is welcome to go to his family's without me and our children until they can recognize that he is happy and be happy for him. So you don't have to ignore your family as long as you are supportive of your wife and her feelings.


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## Tonyh86

I have gone through the same thing for the past 10yrs going on 11yrs now starting tomorrow. Me and my wife been together for a while now and my mother and my family still do not like her at all. Trust me I have tried everything to get them to get along but nothing worked. My mother thinks my wife is a horrible person and my whole family talks bad about her behind her back. They say horrible things about her such as how stupid she is to how lazy my wife is among other things. Thing is none of that is true my wife works two jobs nursing and to me she's the smartest woman I know. They also do things literally to hurt her, and to make her feel unwelcomed. Such as every year for Christmas my mom will not get my wife anything nor will the rest of my family. They do this every year. They will buy everyone really nice gifts but my wife. My mom did get her a box of dollar store chocolates this year for Christmas, which to me still isn't right. After all my wife puts a lot of effort into making everyone gifts. She made my mother a hand-crafted blanket which took her hrs and a Winnie the pooh doll. My mother loves Winnie the pooh. She even bought my sister body and bath stuff my sister wanted. She also bought everyone else in my family at least one gift. Still they don't ever get her anything, making her feel unwelcomed. I tell my wife each year we don't have to go over to my moms for Christmas but my wife insets as she wants nothing more than to be accepted by my family. Do you want to know what my wife wish was for Christmas? that my mother and family would accept her. That they would finally make her feel welcomed. Sadly she didn't get that wish and I feel my family will never like my wife. 
Anyways next year we plan on just having our own Christmas and not worrying about my family anymore. I know this might sound rough but you might have to cut your mother out of your life. You also might have to put your foot down, proclaim to your mother that if she doesn't treating your wife right then you want nothing to do with her. That's what I did after seeing my wife hurt ones again. I told my whole family that I was done with them, I told them that my wife goes beyond the limit of what she should. She treats you guys nicely, buys you guys gifts and she doesn't talk crap about you behind your guys back like you do to hers. I said this all yesterday at the Christ mast eve party. Of course they just laughed and brushed me off. See my family has always been all about them, along with treating people like crap. 

I wish you good luck with your wife, don't be shocked if nothing does change. You can try balancing it out but trust me from my own experiences if your mother already hates your wife nothing is going to change her mind.


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## Pollo

I've experienced this before, luckily things are much better now.
When I first got married my mom did all of the typical mother in law things that really irritated my wife. At first I thought it was just a misunderstanding between them but after a couple of weeks I saw that it was really my mom's jealousy coming into play. 

Once I found out that my mom was the one causing the animosity I gave her **** until it stopped completely. Every now and then little things still happen and I make sure my mom knows that there will be big problems if it continues. 

Imo you can't try to be a peacemaker. You need to find out where the animosity is coming from and shut it down right away. In most situations I find the in-laws are the problem, make sure you figure out what's really happening. Also, don't try to be too nice about, be assertive and do what's right.


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## Blondilocks

Zombie thread.


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## 6301

jaks said:


> Absolutely, my wife is my priority. I just feel like I'm headed for a situation where I have to make a choice once and for all, and I don't like where that leads (disowning my family). I used to have a great relationship with my family, especially my brother. I hate to even think about where this is going to lead unless I can somehow mend things between my family and my wife.
> 
> The tricky part is that my wife isn't blameless in all of this. Generally I think she is right, but not 100% of the time. So it's not just a matter of setting my family straight about my wife and asking that they show some respect or anything like that. I think she needs to work a little bit to get on good terms with them as well. I guess I'm just stumped about how to make that happen. I know approaching my wife about this would have to be a very delicate matter. Obviously I can't say, "Hey honey, my family hates you." And similarly with my family, I don't want to throw down an ultimatum and say, "Accept my wife or get out of my life." There has to be a way to bring my wife and family closer together and reduce the tension.


 As you know, very seldom is anyone 100% right and that includes you wife and your side of the family. If your happy with your wife and she's good to you then if it's me, I let my family know that yes they have an opinion and thoughts and you would like it if they kept it to themselves. I would let them know that she is your wife and if you disrespect her, then your disrespecting me and that none of them were given the ability to walk on water or turn water into wine and that it's stops now before it's too late and if you have to make a choice, they might not like the outcome.

They have their own families to worry about and it would be advisable if they took more if a interest in them rather than yours.


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## EleGirl

Zombie thread from 2009


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