For example, as one Redditor shared, when theirin-lawskept making these unpleasant remarks and confronting them did next to nothing, they had to come up with another way to teach them a lesson. Soon, their plan, involving a warning about possible lead poisoning, sent their in-laws tearing apart theirkitchenand buying new dishes. Scroll down to read the full story!
More info:Reddit
Image credits:Georgie Devlin (not the actual photo)
Image credits:Edgar Castrejon (not the actual photo)
Sometime later, the couple came across a post about possible lead poisoning damage in old fire-glazed dinnerware, similar to the set their in-laws had
Image credits:Geno0wl
They told them the info, but not without omitting the fact that their research into it was inconclusive, leading them to throw away all their plates and dishes and buy new ones
It was dinner as usual when the OP’s mother-in-law said some thoughtless yet hurtful things to the poster and their spouse. And just like every time they tried to talk to the in-laws about it, they explained that they didn’t mean it and it shouldn’t be a big deal.
At first, themarriedcouple decided to ignore theparents, but it didn’t take long until they ran into an old post about fire-glazed dinnerware that contained a lot of lead, which can be severelypoisonous. When the couple remembered that their in-laws had a very similar set at home, a malicious idea was born.
Even though their own research showed inconsistent results, with some saying that any lead is bad and others explaining that it’s only bad if it’s not sealed properly, the OP and their spouse put together a message for the in-laws, ramping up the risk and leaving out the part that says the danger might not be so real after all.
The parents went through everything sent to them. Last the OP heard, they became set on throwing away almost all of their dinner plates and serving dishes, replacing them with new ones, which can get quite pricey.
Image credits:Gustavo Fring (not the actual photo)
But toxicity in family relations isn’t always limited to just words. According to Samantha Vincenty of theOprah Daily, it can actually be felt in quite a lot of different, terrible ways from the ones that are supposed to be some of the closest people to you.
Here are some of the things that toxic family members might do:
Image credits:Brooke Lark (not the actual photo)
Fortunately, as Abigail Brenner ofPsychology Todaywrites, such behavior is not impossible to deal with, even if it might be difficult and require additional effort.
It all begins with creating boundaries to let the people around you know what lines they shouldn’t cross. If they keep up with their behavior, the next best thing is to try to limit your contact with them and engage only as little as necessary.
When it comes to not engaging, you should take special care to avoid provocative and argumentative discussions that they might try to pull you into. To make it easier for yourself, it’s always good to surround yourself with supportive people who can become more of a family than your biological one. And if your friends are scarce, there are always support groups you can turn to.
Lastly, if things really do get bad enough, it might be best to consider cutting off all contact with the family and removing them from your life and yourself from theirs. This decision may be big and difficult, but, at times, such sacrifice might be necessary.
In the end, saying thoughtless things can hurt others without us realizing it. While we might not mean to make them feel bad, we can’t really take our words back. Fortunately, we can always apologize and try to mend these wounds. All it takes is not being too big to own up to your mistakes, which is certainly something the OP’s in-laws should consider.
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