The stereotypical monster-like mum-in-law is not just a joke for many Irish people.
It has been the subject of more than just one romantic comedy and it’s something we all laugh about but, for many Irish, the monster mum-in-law is real life.
Just under half of us believe there is some truth in the old ‘mum-in-law from hell’ story.
And over eight per cent told the poll for Newstalk radio that she is, in fact, a terrible reality in their lives.
One in six also felt their in-laws have far too strong an influence on their family life.
The in-law habit that annoyed people the most was them dropping in to visit without warning.
Other annoying habits included in-laws crossing the line with cheeky comments about the couple’s relationship, parenting skills and home.
And a worrying total of 34 per cent admitted to having a row with their in-laws.
In lots of cases, nine per cent, the argument was so bad that there are still tensions between the two families.
This man is having none of his mum-in-law…
Almost 23 per cent said they only speak to their partner’s family when it’s absolutely necessary.
Looks like there may be some truth in the stereotypes of in-laws…
Some people even admitted to a having a non-existent relationship with the other family, and more said they would class the relationship as just “tolerable”.
However, the research shows that, although we may complain, in-laws may have their uses too.
Nearly half of the couples questioned have received some sort of cash hand-out from them. In some cases it was a wedding or birthday gift, but in others it was a loan.
The good news? 19 per cent of people felt their relationship with the in-laws was good, 39 per cent thought it was very good and 13 per cent said the relationship was an important part of their lives.
