1. Family atmosphere and bonding: Have you and your family members had a chance to develop a good sense of community this year? If not, no worries! We can figure out what went wrong together.
During the late December period of the solar term, our family of eight came together in a beautiful way. It was a subtle shift, and it was unlike anything we'd experienced before. Now, our family dynamic is similar to before, but with a wonderful newfound tolerance and less energy spent arguing about right and wrong. Instead of arguing about right and wrong, we've created a harmonious atmosphere.
2. Beyond the original family: Has your relationship with your original family improved, or has it been negatively affected?
I'm happy to say that there were no major conflicts with my biological family. There were a few minor issues, but I've let them go and I'm at peace with everything.
1) I can see that there's no way to blame my parents for many problems. In an era without the internet, they made what was, at the time, one of the best choices they could make with their level of knowledge.
2) I've come to realize that many of life's challenges are actually reflections of our inner selves, rather than being problems that should be blamed on our parents. After all, we're already in our middle years, and it's long past the time when we should be responsible for ourselves and our own families.
3) I don't have any demands on my parents now. Originally, they were in their 70s and still came every two weeks to help me with the baby, which was quite difficult. So I just hope that they stay healthy and live a few more years, and I don't have any other demands. I'm so grateful to them for all they've done!
3. Family conflicts and imbalances:
1) Have there been any conflicts or disagreements with family members this year? We'd love to know what the reasons were!
2) (Not applicable to unmarried individuals) We'd love to know if you had any disagreements or conflicts with your partner's parents!
A few years ago during the Spring Festival, we were at my in-laws for the New Year. We had a bit of a disagreement, which was really quite surprising!
Anyway, that day my husband and I were going to take his brother's car back to Huzhou in the evening, and the two kids had agreed to stay at Grandma's for another week before going back. When Grandma saw that her younger brother's fingernails hadn't been cut, she kindly asked me to cut them for him. But my husband's brother didn't want to, and my husband's father said that you shouldn't cut your fingernails at night, so I didn't.
So my mother-in-law said, "Oh, that's nonsense! She doesn't do anything and she wants to leave…"
Oh dear, this is all getting a bit much!
It feels a bit like an unfortunate hiccup.
I hadn't said anything yet, but my husband jumped up and told my mother-in-law to watch what she said. Well, that was the start of it! My mother-in-law started ranting, saying that she had given up her own time to help us with the kids and that we resented her. (I never resented her, and I think she had a hard time too, but I don't think she ever got it.) In the end, she said she didn't want to take care of the kids anymore.
Then my husband also got a little upset and said that if we weren't going, we weren't going, and immediately told the kids to pack their bags and go back to his that night.
The day after that was my birthday, and I had been hoping for a romantic evening for two, but it turned out to be a celebration for four. My husband bought a cake, which was really sweet, but I felt quite disheartened eating it.
I really don't understand it. From the outside, it looks like a close-knit family with a good temper, but when they fight, they don't care about anyone, especially my mother-in-law. She says whatever she likes and always feels like the whole world owes her and that she is always right.
My mom was a huge help with childcare for the next six months!
4. It's so important to establish a sense of boundaries.
1) This year, have you taken on too many family emotions/played roles that are not yours/confused the expectations of family members with your own desires? We all get caught up in family dynamics sometimes!
2) (Just a heads-up, this doesn't apply to you if you're not married.) Has your family of origin been too involved in your married life this year?
It's so obvious! I feel that the conflict between my mother-in-law and my daughter-in-law is actually a parent-child conflict, and I've actually become the fuse. No matter how much my mother-in-law and my son argue, she'll quickly forgive my husband, even if he never apologizes.
The mother-in-law always thinks her husband is too busy, too tired, and too thrifty to be taken care of. She also thinks that her influence causes her husband to argue with her and disrespect her.
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My inner thoughts: Oh, I'm just a scapegoat, poor me! It's a bit of a tussle between a loving mother who is just a bit worried about her middle-aged son and an intermediate son who doesn't want to be controlled and always wants to stand out.
In essence, it's a mutual feeling of distrust between mother and son. The mother-in-law has her doubts about her son's ability to live a good life, and the son is unsure about trusting his mother-in-law's opinions.
Oh, yes, and the mother-in-law just loves to assert her presence! It might be related to the fact that she was the second child and was allegedly not well treated by her mother when she was young.
Whenever we ask our younger brother something, we're really just trying to test him a bit, but the mother-in-law always answers first. And whenever we're teaching the kids, the mother-in-law often adds her own comments, which is great because it means she's really interested in what we're doing and wants to help.
And then there's the second child, who is being brought up by the in-laws. The eldest child is being brought up by the grandparents, so they always favor the second child and always think that I don't like the second child and treat him badly. It's so sad!
Sometimes I really want to cry, but I just don't have any tears left!
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Oh, there's not much I can say! You can't say anything bad about her, though. She's quite capable and has looked after your children for several years. But it seems that she never sees anything good in me. So now I've basically given up. I've come to terms with the crux of the problem, so now I rarely argue back. I'll let my husband go dance with his mother!
5. Child-rearing and education (not applicable to those who have not yet had children):
1) It would be great to know if you and your partner have clear roles and responsibilities when it comes to raising your child.
2) I'd love to hear how your relationship with your child is going this year! Have there been any challenges, and if so, how did you work through them?
I think it's important to have a division of labor. I usually play the role of the stern parent, while my husband is more lenient and sticks to the rules.
For my eldest child's education and training, I was in charge during class, but now he's all grown up and basically relies on himself; after school, he takes care of math and piano, and I take care of English.
My second little one still needs my help with reading.
If the relationship with the children is relatively harmonious, the usual problem is that they get a little too rowdy, and I can't help but lose my cool and yell at them. The main reason for this is still my ability to control my emotions in the moment, but I feel that I have improved a lot.
I think it might be because I've seen a few hiccups between my husband and my mother-in-law, and there are two boys in the family, so I usually give them a pretty big degree of freedom, which probably helps avoid a lot of conflicts.
6. Next year's plan:
Let's chat about your goals and plans for the coming year in response to the above key points and issues identified!
Next year or the year after, I'd love to be able to help out the elderly. Either I'll take care of the baby myself, or I'll find an aunt to cook dinner for us and give the elderly a break!
When it comes to childcare, it's best to keep things as they are and build on the great work both parents are already doing!
Comments
We've definitely grown closer as a family this year. We've made it a point to spend quality time together, which has really strengthened our sense of community.
The relationship with my family of origin hasn't changed much. While there have been some lingering issues, we've managed to keep them from affecting our daily lives.
There were a few disagreements with my inlaws this year, mostly over lifestyle choices. However, communication helped us understand each other better and find common ground.
I've learned to set boundaries within the family, ensuring that I don't take on too many roles that aren't mine. It's been about balancing family expectations with personal aspirations.
Regarding parenting, my partner and I have divided responsibilities fairly. This year, we faced challenges with our child's education but worked together to resolve them effectively.