Article: Avoid taking sides in any confrontations between your parents and your fiance. This not only will make one side feel betrayed, but may make the situation even worse. The best thing you can do to diffuse the situation is to remain neutral and let both sides know that you care about them and respect their feelings. You might say something like, "I know that there are difficult feelings on both sides. Let's just all calm down and take a step back." Don't let yourself get dragged into an "It's them or me" ultimatum; keep saying "I love each of you deeply and I know we can work this out, or at least learn to tolerate one another." You may be tempted to give your fiance the impression that your parents really like them. You might not want to let your parents even know that you're engaged. The best thing to do when your parents dislike your fiance is to be honest with everyone about what's going on. For example, you might have to tell your fiance, "I know you really like my parents, but they don't care for you very much. I hope that will change some as they get to know you." Or, you might need to tell your parents, "I know you don't like my fiance, but we are in love and are planning to get married. I don't want this to come between us." The truth will come out eventually, so it's best to stay ahead of things and address problems before they fester. Your parents and your fiance may never see completely eye-to-eye. However, they can reach a compromise that all of you can cope with. Sit down with your parents and your fiance and try to work out a plan for how you all can interact and be a family together without any negativity. For example, you might tell your parents, "I know you may never fully embrace Jamie. But we're going to all be a family soon no matter what, so we need to sit down and work out a way to manage our problems together." In some cases, letting your parents get to know your fiance better might help; in others, it may be best to limit contact to necessary, defined situations.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Remain neutral. Be honest with everyone. Try to compromise.