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Everyone has some kind of quirk that brings them joy.

Unfortunately, the mother-in-law in this story didnt get that memo.

She definitely singled out her son-in-law as the next victim when visiting their house.

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Setting boundaries or confronting this throw in of person is difficult but not impossible.

To understand how to do that,Bored Pandareached out to Jess Miller, the creator ofMind Your Boundaries.

Jess told us that typically, people dont realize they need a boundary until a limit is crossed.

Man sitting on wooden stairs wearing a brown jacket and cap, reflecting his stair-sitting habit.

However, if you anticipate a situation where expectations might clash, its a good idea to establishboundariesbeforehand.

We also reached out toKerry Kerr McAvoy(PhD) to understand boundary-setting from a psychological perspective.

Kerry is a retired psychologist,author, and an expert on cultivating healthy relationships and deconstructing narcissism.

Text discussing a mother-in-law’s criticism of her son-in-law’s stair-sitting habit, and his wife’s defense.

We asked Dr. Kerry how to handle a situation like this.

Jess Millersaid: The author of this Reddit post handled the situation perfectly, in my opinion.

Boundaries are about managing your own behavior and decisions; they are entirely within your control.

Text about husband’s stair-sitting habit, which his wife finds endearing despite MIL’s disapproval.

The key here is that she didnt get reactive or escalate theconflictherself.

She tried to diffuse itby continuing the conversation and moving forward with the evening.

It was her mother whoescalated the situation by storming out.

Older couple standing indoors with relaxed expressions, practicing mindfulness in a bright room.

This highlights an important principle of boundaries:you cant control how others respond to them, Jess shared.

Folks often feel torn between just giving in to the other persons demands or standing their ground.

Jessgave us actionable steps to use if in-laws keep disrespecting boundaries.

Text excerpt about controlling MIL criticizing son-in-law’s stair-sitting habit and his wife’s defense.

She said that one should reinforce the boundary and calmly remind them of your initial request.

Dr. McAvoyalso explained that boundaries are declarations of who we are, what we like and dislike.

We arent setting limits with someone else but rather stating what we will and wont allow.

Text message defending sitting preference in-house, addressing controlling MIL about son-in-law’s stair-sitting habit.

Its safe to say that boundary-setting is a lot of work, but its definitely worth it.

After all that went down, what are your thoughts on the mother-in-laws behavior?

Have you ever had to deal with a person like that?

Text about a controlling MIL criticizing her son-in-law’s stair-sitting habit.

Check out the results:

Man sitting on stairs with laptop as woman walks by holding a mug

Text discussing a controlling MIL upset by son-in-law’s stair-sitting habit, with the wife defending him.

Text discussing a controlling MIL’s issue with her son-in-law’s stair-sitting habit and wife’s defense of him.

Text about dad laughing off wife’s behavior, while daughter wonders if her response to mom was too harsh.

Text about family dynamics acknowledging drama and tradition-related conflicts.

Woman argues over son-in-law’s habit, gesturing angrily at another person in a heated discussion.

Man sitting on stairs with a laptop, representing son-in-law’s stair-sitting habit.

Reddit comment thread discussing the definition of a half bathroom

Comment discussing controlling MIL and son-in-law’s habits

Text advice about dealing with controlling mother-in-law over son-in-law’s behavior.

Text post defending son-in-law’s stair-sitting habit, highlighting normal responses and criticizing MIL’s overreaction.

Reddit comment about a controlling MIL disliking son-in-law’s stair-sitting habit, supportive response.

Screenshot of a comment supporting son-in-law’s stair-sitting habit, suggesting mother-in-law can leave if unhappy.

Comment supporting sitting on stairs, emphasizing comfort and personal choice in one’s own home.

Forum comment about not being the problem regarding a mother-in-law’s controlling behavior.

Text exchange about a son-in-law’s stair-sitting habit; wife defends him while mother-in-law criticizes.

Text from a user sharing a story about sitting on stairs during gatherings.