Jane Fonda in Monster-in-Law was certainly entertaining to watch on the big screen, but I wouldn't wish the wrath of her character on anyone. With the banding together of two families, however, in-law issues of some scale are bound to arise. Take solace in the fact that you're not alone. Relationship expert Mel Robbins of Monster In-Laws visited with the girls of The Talk yesterday to share some of her advice on overcoming family strife. "To have any relationship work, you have to make people feel special," she maintains. Ergo, Rule # 1 in dealing with in-laws: "Pretend like you care," she says, to which the hosts gave a chuckle. She also counsels that small gestures, such as sending an e-mail or showing up to a dinner with flowers, are a huge deal. Here are some of her other pointers:
-Respect each other’s house rules. Your mother-in-law's turf is exactly that.
- You train people how to treat you.
- There are no in-law issues. It’s all unresolved parent-child conflicts.
-Don’t let small things go. Nip it in the bud and let your partner do it for you. i.e., Don't throw your partner into conflict with your parents.
Interestingly enough, all of the issues Robbins had to untangle during filming for the show were deep-rooted, "something that was 10 years old."
Lots of <3,
Allison
“It’s very important to know the person,” Shannen Doherty told The Talk co-hosts while musing about relationships on the show today. Understatement of the year? Truth be told, she really “didn’t know” her past two husbands. She added that “respect and friendship” are keys to a couple’s success.
Check out the new reality show documenting her recent nuptials, “Shannon Says,” premiering tonight on WEtv!
Lots of <3,
Allison
Miranda Lambert, Photo from Zimbio.com
“We don’t see each other much so it’s been great,” country crooner Miranda Lambert tells the girls of CBS’ The Talk (and guest talker Henry Winkler) of her marriage to Blake Shelton. Hmmmm, interesting! The two also have separate farm houses, though she admits they rarely separate for the night, if ever. On having kids? “Not right now. We have our rescue animals; we have 8 dogs.” Lambert added that she thinks kids are “cute,” but when her friends bring theirs over and they start running around, she ponders, “Maybe we should wait a while.”