rules for their daughters and yet another set of rules for their daughter-in-law. E.g.: The daughter can wear jeans but the daughter-in-law has to wear saris. The daughter doesn't do any housework but the daughter-in-law has to do everything. Maybe the daughter is partying and into discos, but the daughter-in-law can't work with male colleagues. Also the mother-in-law is often close with her daughter's kids but not with her son's kids. Why such double standards? Double standards go along with the mind-set that, before marriage there's one set of rules, and a different one after marriage. This also reflects a depressing trend that marriage is no fun, so after marriage the daughter-in-law has to stop all the activities she used to enjoy before including what she wears, often since she is now representing her husband and his family her attire is seen as a reflection of the family. Just another unfortunate bias in society, which people fall prey to, living up to stereotypes rather than evaluating for themselves what is appropriate and what is not. As for the relationship with grandkids, a lot of factors may come into play. One obvious fact or is the fact that the daughter's kids are not around at her mother's home, while the son's kids are. So when they come to visit their maternal grandmother, they are often pampered more than their cousins. Why are mothers-in-law often involved in dowry deaths and wife torture? When a woman assumes the role of a stereotypical mother