are retired, or never worked in the first place, so all day long the mothers-in-law watch the soaps on television, getting so involved that they begin to see traits of the characters in their daughters-in-law and other family members, they relate to mothers-in-law on screen and project their faults on to their daughters-in-law. How far is the generation gap between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law responsible for the problems in between them? I think that is one of the major contributors to the friction. Just like mother daughter tensions, mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law have their own set of tensions. When relating any two individuals bring their different personalities and mind-sets to the equation, add a rivalry for affection and you've got a recipe for unhealthy competition. Hi. I really enjoyed this article and in fact the more articles I read about mother in law issues and problems I realize how similar this 'clan' is. Their insecurities and issues are quite predictable now, having gone through many problems already in a short span of married life. I especially found the 3rd last point interesting (healthy relationship with their own spouse). I believe that that is the biggest insight.That's the reason I am positive my own mother would have made a pleasant MIL.