How to Impress Your In-Laws by.......

In-law jokes have been part of every culture in the world for centuries. It can sometimes be tricky to forge a positive relationship with your spouse's parents, but it is definitely a good idea to try.

	Steps:
1.	Treat your spouse well. Nothing pleases parents more than knowing that their son or daughter is being well loved and cared for.
2.	Present a united front. Never squabble with your spouse in front of his or her parents. If you think that hot issues may come up, discuss how you will deal with them ahead of time.
3.	Contact them without waiting for them to contact you, and invite them over before they invite themselves. This gives you a chance to get your home the way you want it for their visit and to prepare yourself emotionally for a visit on your own terms.
4.	Ask their advice, whether or not you plan to take it. Your spouse's parents will be glad to feel that they still have some influence on the life of their child.
5.	Be creative. If it bothers you that your mother-in-law always tries to do your dishes after dinner, offer her another task, such as serving coffee or playing with the baby.
	Tips:
	Begin making your own cherished family holiday traditions at home, especially if family holidays become a tug-of-war about whose family to visit, and it isn't possible to visit both. Or, get on a plane to somewhere warm, and enjoy the holidays in an entirely different way.
	Consider alternating holidays – Thanksgiving with one family, Christmas or Hanukkah with the other. This is one way to reduce conflict and satisfy almost everyone.
	Warnings:
	Avoid confrontations with your in-laws if possible. Try to let criticism or differences of opinion wash over you, but if this isn't possible, just handle things as gracefully as you can without seeming combative or insincere.
	Try to get along well with your in-laws, but don't let them take over. This can become especially important when grandchildren arrive. Just set some reasonable ground rules for everyone in the family, and make sure everyone follows them.
	Sometimes, it just doesn't work out. If you and your in-laws are completely incompatible, for whatever reason, just handle it as gracefully as possible, avoid contact whenever you can, and remember that even if you will never love your in-laws, they did something wonderful when they created your spouse