In-Law Relationships

This is a topic that I think is so important. Having positive in-law relationships that are functional and friendly can make married life easier. My spouse and I have spent many years balancing these relationships in a way that doesn't put pressure on our own marriage. It has taken time and a lot of patience, but I feel like we have found that balance. I am lucky that I love my in-laws tremendously and I am able to have a positive relationship with them as parent figures in my life, as well having them be wonderful grandparents to our children.
I think a lot of the counsel from the prophets on this topic is crucial.  President Kimball taught that husbands and wives need to maintain appropriate boundaries around the marriage. He said: “Your married life should become independent of her folks and his folks. You love them more than ever; you cherish their counsel; you appreciate their association; but you live your own lives, being governed by your decisions.” (Oneness in Marriage,” Ensign, Oct. 2002, 45.)
Quite often, I think that parents mean well when they are trying to help their newlywed children adjust to married life, but sometimes this can do more harm than good. President Kimball also said: “Well meaning relatives have broken up many a home. Numerous divorces are attributable to the interference of parents who thought they were only protecting their loved children. He also observed that sometimes parents “will not relinquish the hold they have had upon their children. Wise parents will honor their children’s adulthood, foster their independence, and respect their marital boundaries, thereby giving their children the opportunity to establish strong marriages. As married children shift their primary loyalty and strive for independence, they will be able to enjoy satisfying adult relationships with their parents and, having truly left home, experience the joy of being one in marriage. (Richard B. Miller, "For Newlyweds and Their Parents" Ensign 2006)

As we try our best to raise well adjusted adult children, we could do well to let them have the space they need to grow and flourish in their own relationships and they try and navigate their way as best as they can.