Dear Queenie,
When my parents-in-law came to visit us they expected us to spend all our time with them. However, one day when they were here was a very special occasion for my own parents and we arranged to spend that evening with them. Then my in-laws kept pushing us to go out to dinner with them that same night. We agreed to go, planning to eat quickly and then go to my parents for the rest of the evening, but the dinner lasted very long – other people came late and service was very slow – and by the time we got to my parents’ home everyone else had gone already and my parents were mad that we hadn’t been there.
Queenie, what should we have done?—In-law Etty Ket
Dear Etty Ket,
You could have set a time you would stay with your in-laws that evening and left when that time was up, no matter what. Or your spouse could have spent the evening with their parents while you spent the evening with yours.
Hopefully things will go better the next time your in-laws visit.
