Do you remember the first time you met your future in-laws?

Well my "boyfriend " and I had been into London to see a show. Got to my inlaws to be for our first ever meeting around midnight. My boyfriend went in the back door first straight into the lounge. My future mother-in-law was giving my future father-in-law a blow job!!!!!.

I was a very young child. I really only remember that they were sweet old people - quite different to my noisy active family. I've never worked out if they liked me, I suspect not, but we passed time together pleasantly.

Mil was my husband's biggest admirer, apart from me. Absolutely beautiful, great cook and gardener - nothing to dislike. Not a "man basher" in any way, good example to me -- positive always.

Fil worked incredibly hard, was talented in all aspects of repairs and making do -- opposite to Dad who had no innate sense of DIY. Neither Mil nor Fil were fluent in English, perhaps good I never "knew" their words?

I was never accepted by my mother-in-law whose only stock in trade was being the perfect housewife, which I have never been, preferring to have my nose in a book. She wanted my husband to marry his girlfriend from the same town, a bore who “won a gold medal for her loose covers” at domestic science college. Mil was a stingy, constantly disapproving presence who blighted my marriage. I have tried to be much kinder to my two daughters-in-law.

We were already married when I first met MIL ( enough said ). She looked down her nose at me and made me feel extremely uncomfortable. Made comments about my posh( Southern) accent etc. Couldn't wait to get away.

They disliked me, I disliked them, simple.

When I first met future inlaws my late DH showed me into the living room and his parents were there with his sister and her husband. Small room and future FIL was sprawled out on sofa so nowhere for me to sit, DH had rushed into kitchen to get us both a drink so I said hello and just stood feeling totally uncomfortable until eventually sister's husband stood up and offered me his chair! Not a good start.

My ex husband was in the Forces based in Berlin at the time, he had 2 weeks leave, his parents lived in London, I travelled to London to stay a few days with him and his parents. His mother was very domineering, whe wanted everything her way or no way at all. My ex was very quiet around her, he was yes mum no mum, did everything she said, unfortunately she soon realised that she could not domineer me, I had a mind of my own, she hated me from the first meeting and the feeling was mutual, for years my ex used to visit his mother on his own, taking the kids with him, while I had a few weeks peace. Even at our wedding she was going around the tables saying I brought my son up well, and what does he go and do marry someone like her. She is dead now, but she achieved what she wanted to do, by splitting us up, she wanted the grandkids but not me. She ended up with nothing, after the split I refused to allow the kids any where near her. The ex is now a lonely old man, with no friends, and no confidence in himself all because of the mother in law from hell

I met my future in laws when I was 16. My Mil was wonderful, absolutely beautiful and highly intelligent- she died a couple of years ago and I miss her terribly. She had the ability to make everyone feel special.

I was the proverbial "scarlet woman" and my MIL welcomed me by saying, "I don't have to like you but we need to get on for the sake of the children." I was a bit taken aback but agreed with her and replied that I agreed the children were the most important thing. Eventually she apologised for not sounding more welcoming and said she had been told off by her best friend for being so unkind. She then went on to tell me that she had welcomed my husband's ex and her entire family into her life, had found she didn't like them much and couldn't find a way to extricate herself without upsetting people. She had made up her mind never to do that with me and mine so had been a bit more strident than usual. She was a smashing lady so we became great friends as her boy was her everything and I treated him nicely.

On our first meeting the MIL told me, "you seem more suited than all the others." I was shocked. Twenty years later she hasn't got any better and continuously talks about all of his past/girlfriends/ex wive in front of me. Quite a contradiction to that initial statement. I think she feels threatened by her son having feelings for anyone other than her.

I think it helped that we both had working mothers. DH's mother, as a teacher, was the main breadwinner as DH's father worked in the car industry, which until the 1960s was seasonal and the men were all laid off in the summer.

Never ever took to my F in L but my M in Law was lovely, if downtrodden Grammaretto

I met my DH in Singapore, and we had been engaged (and living in sin!) for two years before I met his parents.
And I met them alone, as I returned to the UK before my DH, and went to stay with them for a few days.
I have to say they were absolutely lovely and welcomed me with open arms as future MiL (especially) had given up all hope of DH ever finding a girl and settling down.
I was introduced to all the family, taken out and about, thoroughly treated and spoiled.
I think they were equally as nervous as me, as by that time DH and I were professional people and I think they thought I would be a toffee-nosed teacher and would look down on them - in fact I came from a very similar working class background and their lifestyle was so familiar to me, and I felt very much at home.
They were the bestest, kindest parents-in-law anyone could have and I loved them very much until they passed away about 20 years ago.

I can only just remember it as it was a bit of a blur.
It was Christmas and the house was full of people.
Not a lot of love between us ever although I admired FiL for his patience and understanding.

Whoo! MrsKen that wouldn't have suited me at all. A woman's place and all that.
It was important to me to like his DP because he loved them.
I liked them more as time went by. My DM adored DH and he liked her so it all helped.

Yes Iwent to Sunday tea. DH had five siblings ,so a large table. With mostly cake and bread. A big plate of ham at one end near DH’s father. It was as if a silent whistle was blown. Food disappeared onto people’s plates. I was used to people passing thing to each other. I had an empty plate. DH noticed and asked what would I like. ‘A slice of ham please and some bread and butter.’. The ham he said was only for his father. His father said not a word. When he wanted another cup of tea he just held his cup up silently. DH’s mother jumped up immediately.
Needless to say I had quite a bit of ‘education’ to do when we married .

I met my future in laws a few weeks after we started dating. We’d been married for four years when mil died unexpectedly.

I first met my future in laws when I went with my now ex husband to discuss the wedding. He omitted to tell them I was pregnant and left that little gem to me. Not an auspicious start.

Yes I remember it well . My DH was a divorcet catholic so that was frowbed upon . My late DMiL just said O this is who your sweet on . We always got on well and especially with my DFiL . When I failed My driving test the first time he said O you think they'd let her pass because of her personality

I was invited to meet my future in laws only 3 months after I met my H.It was Christmas. Because of their home situation( inadequate outside toilet).I had to stay at his brother's house.I spent Christmas day at the in laws house.I don't think there was much conversation.They hadn,t been the best parents although D/H seemed to have some love for them.My home was in a different area so I didn't have much to do with them over the years.They always favoured the brothers children over ours.We did visit them occasionally over the years until their deaths.All in all,not the best relationship.

Dh’s younger brother,,of course!

When we were still students, we’d gone for a weekend to London from our Yorkshire uni, and dh thought it OK to turn up at his folks’ house, expecting beds for the night.

I gathered that my future MiL was a wee bit dubious about me, but was polite enough (in her decidedly cut-glass voice) and I was given an old army camp bed in the sitting room.

At least (AFAIK) she didn’t refer to me the dismissive way my mother’s MiL evidently did at first - ‘Some blonde…’

It was over 5 years before we finally got married, and I always got on well with my lovely MiL, who died too young. Having only 4 boys I think she was very grateful for anyone who would take the slightest interest in e.g. her new kitchen curtains.

TBH I don’t remember FiL from that first meeting at all - only his much younger brother, who was dying to ‘play fight’ with him.

Our courtship was short, six weeks after six years of friendship, so DH's psrents barely knew he had a girlfriend!

We drove down from London, 2 hours away, me wearing my best dress and coat. It was summer it was cream linen and as we stopped to buy papers, I kept them on my lap and the ink rubbed off them onto my coat, so we arrived at the house with me beautifully dressed in linen 2 piece witha great inky mark all over my coat.

The first thing my future Mil did was whisk my coat away to put it in the washing machine! I was on tenterhooks all day waiting for DH to tell his parents we were engaged, he didn't do it until just before we left to go bck to London, I have never worked out why. My MiL's reaction was: 'Yes, I have realised that since you came in the door.'

The way she just whisked my coat away and dealt with everything was completely at one with who she was. i could not have had a better MiL

Yes, I met her alone and she was lovely and we have always got on. I miss her terribly

I was lucky wasn't I! Poor whiff.

My own DP met in London before the 2nd world war. His family were NZ Scots Presbyterian sheep farmers, Hers Irish Catholic and mixed race Asian living in Burma.

He must have told his parents in letters that he was keen on this girl as I still have a letter to him from his mother kept by mine full of hatred for Catholics and begging him to drop her and return home to his loving family.

They married regardless and remained in England for 11 years but waited until after the war before starting a family.

When my DS and I were small we went to NZ to live. His dad had died.
My DM never got on well with her MiL but they tolerated eachother.

I loved my NZ gran and never understood why there was no love lost between the 2 women in dad's life.

After his early death, mum brought us to England and much later couldn't understand why my DSon had decided to emigrate there.