Parent-in-law
Parent of a person's spouse; key in-law relationship.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
A parent-in-law is the parent of a person’s spouse, creating a legal bond known as affinity. Many cultures and legal systems assign specific duties and responsibilities to people in this relationship. A person is a child-in-law to their spouse’s parents, who are also the parents of any sibling-in-laws—meaning the spouse’s siblings, not the spouses of siblings. Together, these relatives are referred to as in-laws.
A father-in-law is the father of a person’s spouse. Two men who are fathers-in-law to each other’s children can be called co-fathers-in-law, or co-grandfathers if grandchildren exist.
A mother-in-law is the mother of a person’s spouse. Two women who are mothers-in-law to each other’s children may be called co-mothers-in-law, or co-grandmothers if there are grandchildren. In comedy and popular culture, the mother-in-law is often stereotyped as bossy, hostile, nosy, overbearing, and unpleasant, frequently depicted as a source of trouble for the husband married to her daughter. A mother-in-law joke is a joke that mocks this character. Some Australian Aboriginal languages use avoidance speech, known as “mother-in-law languages,” which are special sub-languages spoken when within hearing distance of taboo relatives, most commonly the mother-in-law. A type of dwelling, often a guest accommodation within a family home for extended family members, is sometimes called a mother-in-law suite.
Parent-in-law relationships are often seen as either a source of conflict or support in a marriage. Jealousy, competition, differences, and disillusioned expectations can cause conflict. The perception of parent-in-laws as negative influences leads to the characterization of female in-laws as particularly difficult, with the stereotyped mother-in-law joke finding humor in this reality. Positive influences also exist, as in-laws can become a found family for partners or child-in-laws who are not close to their own families. Although conflict with in-laws is sometimes thought to harm a marriage’s future, the degree of connection to parents-in-law has not been found to affect a marriage’s success. Lack of success may instead stem from whether a couple agrees on how to handle conflicts, not from the conflicts themselves. Discordant perceptions between spouses about their in-law relationships, and disagreements on those connections, may harm marriage outcomes.
- field
- Family relationships and affinity law
- known_for
- Being the parent of a person's spouse; subject of cultural stereotypes and jokes
- related_terms
- father-in-law, mother-in-law, co-fathers-in-law, co-mothers-in-law, child-in-law, sibling-in-law
Lore & Background
A father-in-law is the father of a person's spouse. Two men who are fathers-in-law to each other's children may be called co-fathers-in-law, or, if there are grandchildren, co-grandfathers. A mother-in-law is the mother of a person's spouse. Two women who are mothers-in-law to each other's children may be called co-mothers-in-law, or, if there are grandchildren, co-grandmothers.
In comedy and popular culture, the mother-in-law is stereotyped as bossy, unfriendly, hostile, nosy, overbearing and generally unpleasant. They are often depicted as the bane of the husband married to the mother-in-law's daughter. A mother-in-law joke is a joke that lampoons the obnoxious mother-in-law character. Some Australian Aboriginal languages use avoidance speech, so-called 'mother-in-law languages', special sub-languages used when in hearing distance of taboo relatives, most commonly the mother-in-law.
A type of dwelling, usually guest accommodations within a family home, that may be used for members of the extended family, is sometimes referred to as a mother-in-law suite.
Reader's Guide
Parent-in-laws are often viewed as either a source of conflict or a source of support in a marriage relationship. Jealousy, competition, differences, and disillusioned expectations can cause conflict to arise in these relationships. The perception of parent-in-laws as negative influences on a marriage leads to the characterization of female in-laws as particularly difficult. The stereotyped mother-in-law joke finds humor in the reality of conflict with in-laws. Positive influences have also been noted, as in-laws can be a found family for partners or child-in-laws who are not as close to their own family.
While it is sometimes thought that conflict with in-laws will have a disastrous effect on the future of a marriage, the degree of connection to parents-in-law has not been found to influence the success of a marriage. Lack of success of a marriage may be due not to conflict with parents-in-law, but on whether the couple are on the same page about conflicts. There may be discordant perceptions between spouses about their relationships with their in-laws; disagreements on those connections may harm marriage outcomes.
Did You Know?
- Two men who are fathers-in-law to each other's children may be called co-fathers-in-law, or co-grandfathers if there are grandchildren.
- Some Australian Aboriginal languages use special 'mother-in-law languages' when in hearing distance of taboo relatives, most commonly the mother-in-law.
- A mother-in-law suite is a type of dwelling, usually guest accommodations within a family home, used for members of the extended family.
- The degree of connection to parents-in-law has not been found to influence the success of a marriage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is a parent-in-law?
A parent-in-law is the parent of your spouse, a bond legally classified as affinity. This makes you their child-in-law and places you within the broader in-law family circle.
What role does a parent-in-law hold in family relationships?
They act as the parental figure in the in-law group and are also the parents of your sibling-in-laws, meaning your spouse's brothers or sisters. Many cultures and legal systems attach specific duties and expectations to this position.
How does a parent-in-law connect to sibling-in-laws?
A parent-in-law is the parent of your sibling-in-laws, which refers specifically to your spouse's siblings rather than those siblings' spouses. This distinction keeps the in-law family structure clear.
Why is the parent-in-law relationship culturally significant?
It is one of the most widely recognized in-law bonds and a frequent target of cultural stereotypes and jokes. Different societies assign particular social responsibilities and expectations to people in this role.
What related terms connect to parent-in-law?
Key related terms include father-in-law, mother-in-law, child-in-law, and sibling-in-law. When two men are fathers to each other's children, they may be called co-fathers-in-law, or co-grandfathers if grandchildren are involved.
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