Your in-laws are also your family

Relationships with in-laws have a reputation for being difficult: friction, comparisons, different customs, opinions nobody asked for. And it's easy to settle for "they're their family, not mine." There's no need to idealize them. But you can choose to look after them: taking an interest in your mother-in-law, being patient with your brother-in-law's quirks, lending a hand when they need it. Family loyalty isn't limited to your own blood. Often, besides, that family is also your children's: their grandparents, their aunts and uncles, their cousins. Loving them well is another way of loving your spouse.