Family Life

     Dealing With In-Laws

     Deciding What To Call Your In-Laws

Deciding What to Call Your In-Laws

   Deciding how to address your in-laws can be tricky. Read these
   suggestions for help.

--
Page 1

Deciding What to Call Your In-Laws

   Follow these suggestions for naming your parents-in-law.
    1. Come right out and ask your mother-in-law and father-in-law what
       they want to be called. I know, I'm suggesting something radical
       here, like eating less if you want to lose weight or not baking in
--
Family Matters
       People in second marriages often feel more comfortable calling
       their parents-in-law by their first names rather than as "Mom" or
       "Dad."
       Talking about the name issue right up front allows everyone to air
--
       ashamed to say, not done that. So…
    2. Follow the lead of the rest of the family. Obviously, this is only
       going to work if there's another daughter-in-law or son-in-law and
       the issue of names has already been settled to everyone's
       satisfaction. With the name game, one size does not fit all, so you
       have to be mighty careful you don't get sucked into calling your
       parents-in-law something that doesn't fit in your comfort zone.
       If you're the first to get married, there's no lead to follow. As
       the head weenie at the roast, you have to blaze new ground. In that
       case, see suggestion #1.
    3. Use their first names. My sister has a delightful mother-in-law, a
       lively and intelligent woman whose company I greatly enjoy. Her
       first name is Mera, and that's what my sister calls her. It works
       for them.
    4. Invent a name. Sometimes you're just not comfortable using your
       parent-in-law's first name, even if that's what they have indicated
       they want you to call them. In this case, you might want to
       consider inventing a name for your parent-in-law. Of course, the
       name must be mutually agreeable to all parties.
       For example, my mother's first name is Erna. For some reason that I
       can no longer remember (if there ever was a reason in the first
       place), my husband and several other sons-in-law call my mother
       "Oin," a mangled variation of Erna. She appears to like it because
       it's special and sets her apart from all the other Ernas in the
       world. All two of them.
       We've done the same thing for my father-in-law. His name is Louis,
       but everyone calls him by his middle name, Nick, which he prefers.
       I don't call him by either name. Instead, we made up the name Nas,
--
       (Here's the entire curse in translation, in case you ever need it:
       "May the red goats eat out your stomach lining and the white mice,
       too.") So my father-in-law has become Old Nas; my husband, Young
       Nas. Again, he likes it because it's as special as he is.

   Next: Page 2
     * The Complete Idiot's Guide to Dealing with In-Laws The Complete
       Idiot's Guide to Dealing with In-Laws
       Here are tips and tricks for getting along with your in-laws.

Featured Videos
--
What's hot

     * 10 Tips for Dealing With In-Laws Family Life10 Tips for Dealing
       With In-…
     * Top Tips to Deal with In-Laws During the Holidays Family LifeTop
       Tips to Deal with In-Laws…
     * Close up of attractive couple smiling Family LifeDealing with
       Holiday…