From the creator of NarcissistAbuseSupport.com comes a comprehensive audiobook Narcissistic In-laws. 

When we fall in love and find the perfect person of our dreams, most of us don’t stop to evaluate their family. Sadly, the man or women of your dreams can have parents who can literally derail your marriage, taking it from a fairy tale to a nightmare, in what feels like an instant. One of my favorite quotes is: “When did my life go from a Hallmark movie to a Lifetime movie?” This was my life.

If you think about it, when people first start dating, the family doesn’t come into the mix until things have moved along in a positive way. When you finally meet their parents, they are on their best behavior. The “mask dial” is set to impress and win your heart. If they have a narcissistic parent, this behavior is an act; they are checking you out and rating you on a potential threat scale.

Even during the courtship, the relationship with your partner’s parents generally keeps them on their best behaviors. Remember that your partner is sharing their family with you, and it may be the first time they have been vulnerable to have someone else’s eyes on the family relationship, so they are going to really put on a good show (at first, anyway).