"Hey Prudence, It seems men almost completely outsource kin-keeping to their wives and girlfriends. They simply do not put in the effort to maintain relationships. They do put in some effort with their families, but not nearly as much as their wives do. We see lots of letters where mothers-in-law complain that their daughters-in-law favor their own families, and the daughters-in-law always get blamed-when the real blame should go to their sons for a lack of effort. -Wildcat01"
"This is for Blind Sided, and it's a very old school suggestion. Back in the days before we had endless ways to communicate-when we all had landlines-my mom called my Nana every Wednesday, and my dad usually called his parents every Tuesday or Thursday ... I can't quite remember. But having a scheduled time helps make it a routine and a pattern."
Men frequently outsource kin-keeping responsibilities to their wives and girlfriends, resulting in uneven effort to maintain family relationships. Partners often perform most of the relational labor, while men provide limited contact with extended family. Mothers-in-law commonly accuse daughters-in-law of favoritism, though sons' lack of effort is often the underlying cause. Reintroducing structured routines, such as scheduled weekly calls, can create predictable patterns of contact and distribute relational maintenance. A designated family organizer or "cruise director" can prompt regular connection and help families feel more connected despite the ease of on-demand digital communication.
Read at Slate Magazine
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]