Do you have great in-laws? Did they accept you right from the beginning and make you truly feel like part of the family? If so, you are very blessed, and many couples will likely be a little envious.
In-laws can be a wonderful part of getting married. Gaining a larger extended family offers you a greater network of support, encouragement, and even resources if a need arises. Most families look out for each other and are glad to lend a helping hand.
This extended family can also be great for your children. Who wouldn’t love to have as many grandparents as possible? It’s a beautiful thing when grandparents have a strong bond with their grandkids. It’s also important for grandparents to reinforce parents’ values and rules. Sure, Grandma and Grandpa are likely to spoil the kids a little. That’s good fun, as long as it doesn’t lead to undermining parenting decisions. When intergenerational relationships are triangular (grandparent, parent, child), they are the healthiest and best for all involved.
Another cool thing about marrying into another family is that you may get the brother or sister you always wanted. I was the baby, and I always wanted a younger sibling. Now, I have a little brother. I guess I should say “younger” instead of little, since he’s 6’2”, but I love him like a brother and he’s made me feel like family since day one. He got married a couple of year’s ago, and his wife is great. When we all get together, it’s like we were all meant to be a family, and I believe we were.
Something else I hadn’t thought of until tragedy struck our families, is that mothers and fathers in law can step into a parent figure roll if one spouse loses a parent. While they cannot replace a parent, it’s nice to have a mother or father figure to turn to. My husband lost him mom, but is very close to mine.
While sadly not all in-law bonds are strong and healthy, they can be worked on like any other relationship.