The Bible says, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife.” But does he have to cleave so much?
A new study from the University of Cambridge Center for Family Research and the Stand Alone Institute organisation found that rifts between parents and their son’s wife are among the most common reasons for family estrangement.
The study, which was based on the responses of more than 800 men and women in England who had little or no contact with their families, found that divisions between parents and sons lasted a third longer than those between parents and daughters. The issues most commonly listed as “very relevant” in the breakdown of relationships with daughters included mental health problems and emotional abuse.
However, the issues most closely associated with sons included divorce, in-laws, and marriage.
As one respondent wrote, “My son and I had a very strong, loving relationship for 25 years. He met his soon-to-be wife, and our relationship and his relationships with everyone on his side slowly went away. Everyone who knew him, including friends and family, saw this and felt this. He disowned anyone who did not like his now-wife.”
-Michael Forman (Author of a sexless marriage story in SEETHINGS)
Discover more from Michael Forman – Author of Dark Fiction & Drama
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I do agree that a man must stick to his wife but the mother-in-law needs to have some understanding. Mothers sometimes have a hard time letting go and it’s important for them to recognize the position his new wife holds in her son’s life and respect it. A lot of friction comes from the mother demanding things stay the same when change is inevitable and unavoidable. Daughters-in-law also need to recognize and respect the mother’s feelings. At the end of the day, it takes cooperation from both sides. Colossians 3:12-14 mentions the importance of love, humility, compassion and patience. It will take all of those qualities to keep the peace.