THE DAUGHTER-IN-LAW RULES

99 Surefire Ways To Manage(and Make Friends with)Your Mother-In-Law!

By Sally Shields

©2007 Outskirts Press

"Next to Waterford Crystal, THE DAUGHTER-IN-LAW RULES may bethe best wedding gift you can give!" -- Tim Bete, author of Guide to PirateParenting

�

THE DAUGHTER-IN-LAW RULES are here!

Ladies!� If living a wonderful life with your husband takesprecedence over winning battles with your Mother-in-law, then

The Daughter-in-Law Rules was written for you!� Theserevolutionary Rules for Daughters-in-Law will prepare you for allthe irritating words and deeds that come hurtling your way and

show you how to remain one step ahead at all times.

What if you had a crystal ball, and you could anticipate all of yourMIL's quirky comments in advance? What if there was a method

to mitigate her faultfinding ways ahead of time?�What if youcould deflect the bulk of them, and be at ease when she walks

through the door?

This is the handbook everyone has been waiting for!

Whether you’re at the beginning of your marriage or you’ve spentyears trying to make peace with your mother-in-law, here are aset of strategies that can save you a lifetime of tribulation. You’ll

see -- these Daughter-in-Law Rules work like a charm!

Because women like you want realistic solutions, author SallyShields lays out simple and witty strategies – which will be thesecret to peace with your husband and your Mother-in-law you

never dreamed possible.� And the more you practice theseformulas, the easier it becomes until one day you are actually,

believe it or not –

enjoying your relationship with her!!

Testimonials:

"This handy tongue-in-cheek guide is amusing, entertaining and practical! A must-havefor all daughters-in-law -- especially those with MILDEW!" --Liz Bluper and RenéePlastique, co-authors of Mothers-In-Law Do Everything Wrong: M.I.L.D.E.W.

“Very Funny Indeed!” --Gina Mollicone Long --best-selling author of “The Secret ofSuccessful Failing”

"The Daughter-in-Law Rules demonstrates strong writing with a nice flow and is filledwith information many people will find interesting and helpful. It will certainly have awide audience and bring a smile to many women’s faces! --Laura Young, Outskirts Press

“The Daughter-in-Law Rules is very well written. Sally Shields is a very talented andsuperb writer with a terrific sense of humor. I see this book as being very commerciallysuccessful. Obviously, any woman who can relate to this type of relationship with theirMother-in-Law is an excellent prospect for this book, so it is surely in for some hugesales numbers!” --Bob Burg, best-selling author of The Go-Getter and WinningWithout Intimidation

“The Daughter-in-Law Rules is truly something that our readers -- a large majority ofthem women -- can surely relate to! It is such a fun and entertaining book!” --AlexaWachstein, Self-Growth.com

“This is the best idea we have ever heard! This book made us laugh out loud, and werelate so, you cannot imagine!" -- Ellen Fein and Sherrie Schneider, best-selling authorsof The Rules:Time Tested Secrets for Capturing the Heart of Mr. Right

“The DIL Rules, rule! Sally Shields has hit on every problem I've faced with my MIL andthen some. Now all I have to do is follow her sage advice. But do I really have to ask howshe's feeling???” --Deb DiSandro, Humor Speaker and author of Tales of a Slightly OffSupermom: Fighting for truth, justice and clean underwear www.slightlyoff.com

The Daughter In Law Rules made me laugh out loud and give thanks for my wonderfulmother in law. Read this book if you have a rocky relationship with His mom or want toget that relationship off on the right foot. You will find funny and compassionate avicethat works. --Lynne Klippel www.BusinessBuildingBooks.com

“Next to Waterford Crystal, THE DAUGHTER-IN-LAW RULES may the best weddinggift you can give!” -- Tim Bete, Author of Guide to Pirate Parenting

“The Daughter-in-Law Rules is the perfect gift for just about any married woman!”-- Jamie L. Saloff, author of Transformational Healing, www.IcanTransform.com

About the Author

Sally Sheilds is an award-winning pianist, composer, author, andvegetarian. She lives in New York City with her husband (not avegetarian!) and their two children. Although the relationship with herMIL was extremely rocky at the outset, the two now enjoy a specialbond -- which got better, interestingly enough, after she found outabout this book!

Read An Excerpt :

Your MIL is coming! Your MIL is coming! As your husband announces that his

mother is slated to arrive in a couple of hours, your heart starts palpitating

and your hands sweat as you quickly try to neaten and straighten the house

to perfection. HELP! Can you possibly live up to her standards? Will anything

you do be to her satisfaction? Why does the mother of your beloved always

cause such fear and trepidation? There has to be some magic technique for

dealing with Mother-in-laws – after all, almost every wife you know has at

least a few issues with hers! And when that bell finally rings, you open up

the door with a gargantuan smile. With the most genuine welcome you can

muster, you gush, "Hi MOM! How was your trip?” Without skipping a beat

she may then bark back, "The traffic was horrible -- took me two hours to

get here. My neck is KILLING me. Take my bags in. You look like crap!

Better take some Dayquil. Where are my little angels?"

EUREKA! A set of strategies! What if you had a crystal ball, and you could

anticipate all of your MIL’s quirky comments in advance? What if there was

a method to mitigate her faultfinding ways ahead of time? You dream of

being prepared for all the curve-balls that come hurtling your way -- what if

you could deflect the bulk of them, and be at ease when she walks in the

door?

You sigh heavily as you pick up her suitcase and purse your mouth into a

tight-lipped smile… but suddenly you remember that there’s hope! You’ll go

and re-read The Daughter-in-Law Rules, straighten your posture and feel a

new empowerment for battle. And while you offer her a nice cup of tea,

that old joke comes to mind -- “How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice,

Practice, Practice!” ***

Though this exercise started off somewhat tongue-in-cheek, once I started

putting a few of these rules into practice, I noticed that my MIL’s attitude

started to shift. I began to see her softer, gentler, more accommodating

side, and that she actually wanted to be quite helpful and kindly towards me.

I began to really like her -- a lot, in fact! I thought that if my MIL and I

could actually have a non-confrontational, even pleasant rapport (which has

now turned into a loving bond) then these rules really have something to

them, and maybe I could help to save other young wives needless contention

by letting them in on my little secret.

The idea is to stay one step ahead of your Mother-in-law. For when you are

applying these calculatingly affable defense mechanisms, you will no longer

be looking for her approval. It won’t be easy at first. When the going gets

tough, remember, you are younger and possibly more school than she, but

most importantly you have her son! So she is most likely envious of you on

some level. You will begin to coexist peacefully with her, and experience

smooth sailing with your husband too, because the two most important women

in his life are getting along!

Now let’s go and have some fun!

Table of Contents

Forward 8

PART 1: THE NEWLYWED 12Rules #1-12

On Advice 25Rules #13-14

On Interests 29Rules #15-20

On Gift Giving 39Rules #21-24

PART 2: ON HOUSE AND HOME

At Your House 44Rules #25-32

At Her House 55Rules #33-40

On Dining 64Rules #41-46

On Listening 74Rules #47-48

PART 3: HER BELOVED SON 79Rules #49-53

PART 4: BEFORE AND AFTER THE BABY

What to Expect When You (and Your MIL) Are Expecting 86Rules #54-58

The Happiest MIL on the Block (Baby’s First Year) 91Rules #59-68

Curious George and Your MIL (The Toddler Years) 102Rules #69-84

There’s a Wocket in Your MIL’s Pocket! (The Preschooler) 121Rules #85-89

On Work and Feminism 129Rules #90-92

When The Second Baby Arrives 133Rules #93-98

PART 5: MOST OF ALL

Rule #99 142

Final Thoughts 144The Daughter-in-Law Solutions Worksheet 146About the Author 149