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Family dynamics can feel especially intense around the holidays and one of the most challenging patterns many parents face is the triangle between you, your partner, and your mother-in-law. In today’s episode, Dr. Tracy Dalgleish returns to the podcast to help us make sense of this dynamic with compassion, clarity, and evidence-based tools.

In this conversation, I sit down with Dr. Tracy Dalgleish, psychologist and author of You, Your Husband & His Mother, to unpack why the mother-in-law / daughter-in-law dynamic is so emotionally charged and how it quietly strains couples.

We talk about boundaries, guilt, generational differences, cultural expectations, and what couples can do to stop feeling divided and start acting as a solid team.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why this family dynamic is uniquely triggering
• How boundaries get misunderstood and what actually works
• What to do when your partner shuts down or minimizes the issue
• How to recover after a difficult family gathering
• Why connection comes before problem-solving

Join me for a free Webinar on December 17th at 8pm (and get the replay!):

https://tremendous-hustler-7333.kit.com/ce962dd904

You can purchase Tracy's book, You, Your Husband and Your Mother in Law, in the US or in Canada. You can also get her first book (which I also highly recommend called "I didn't Sign up for This" in the US or

Support the show

If You’re Working on Staying Calm During Chaotic Parenting Moments…

This episode pairs beautifully with my course, Becoming a Reflective Parent, where we start with values and identity before diving into the 10 emotional skills parents were never taught — including stress management, emotion regulation, self-awareness, leadership, and conflict resolution.
If you snap easily, feel overwhelmed, or want to parent with more calm and confidence, this course was designed for you.

https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/

Grab a Free Resource: FREE Workbook: Staying Calm When Your Child Isn’t: A Parent’s Guide to Triggers and Emotions

Email: info@curiousneuron.com

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🎥 Watch this episode on YouTube