Video: The Importance of Purposefulness in Family Interactions: “Make Time,” Advises Parent
Table Talk hosts Ken and Linda Coldenhoven discuss the importance of regular family dinners on Fox & Friends Weekend.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A woman has sparked a heated debate online after asking whether it would be wrong to skip a monthly dinner with her husband's family because she “can't stand” her mother-in-law's cooking skills.
“My mother-in-law only cooks Chinese food,” a woman wrote on a popular subreddit called “Am I an asshole?” “I can't stand Chinese food.”
The woman, who says she is 23, said she has a difficult relationship with her mother-in-law, who has been “passively aggressive” toward her for years.
She noted that when she had previously expressed her dislike for Chinese cuisine, her mother-in-law would make snide comments about her in front of other family members.
Before the upcoming Sunday dinner, where her mother-in-law would again be cooking, the woman wondered whether it would be better to simply not come, in order to avoid conflict by expressing her preferences.
Many advised the woman to try some of the dishes her mother-in-law cooked for family dinners. (iStock)
“It seems like I will never be able to win her favor, so I have a feeling that it’s better not to come at all to avoid quarrels,” the daughter-in-law said.
She added that her husband told her she could do “whatever she felt comfortable with.”
So she took to Reddit to ask if she would be wrong not to show up for dinner.
Many Reddit users clearly sided with YTA [“you're a moron”].
“Oh really,” one person exclaimed in the comments.
“You don't have to ask her to cook something different, or openly tell her you don't like her food, or not show up at all.”
The original post (not pictured) mentioned that her mother had been passive aggressive towards her for years. (iStock)
“Come, eat some food, stop talking about your tastes and preferences,” the commenter added. “Eat a burger beforehand or something if you must.”
Others expressed displeasure at her claim that she can't stand Chinese food at all, with some even accusing her of xenophobia.
“You can just have some fried vegetables with rice,” one user said. “I think you just don't like your mother-in-law.”
Others stressed that dinner could be an opportunity to improve their troubled relationships.
“Think about the radical idea that the monthly family dinner isn't actually about food,” one user noted.
Some argued that refusing to participate only made the situation worse and criticized the woman for immaturity and arrogance.
However, others supported the author of the original post.
Some people find that having a monthly family dinner is a way to bond, not just eat. (iStock)
“I don't think you're wrong for not wanting to be around someone who treats you badly,” one user said.
It's not the woman's fault if “your husband is okay with it,” someone else added. “One night a month where he spends time with the family and you do what you like is perfectly fine.”
Jackie Pilosof, a former dating and advice columnist and founder of Divorced Girl Smiling in Chicago, said a woman can safely skip
Sourse: www.foxnews.com
