Would you live close to your in-laws?

God instituted marriage to provide refuge, love, support and for procreation in order to create families to enable them to raise individuals to inhabit the earth. 

It is in the course of this that two people leave their separate families, circumstances bring them together, they fall in love and gradually marry. At the marriage ceremony; the two exchange vows that will last them a lifetime.

However, deciding where you will live after you are married is a big decision. Whether or not you should move in next door to your parents or your spouse’s parents, depends a lot on the type of parents that both of you have. These thoughts leave a nagging question in our minds: “Would you live close to your in-laws”?

Lifextra went to the streets to get opinions and as usual, we got very interesting and thoughtful responses from our respondents.

Odufejo Moronke Adeyanju, a businesswoman who is married with kids told us, “I won’t want to live with my in-laws but will love visiting.” Her reason: “It is because misunderstandings which are basic in every human relationship may arise. And my in-laws may be sentimental in settling the dispute thereby blowing the whole thing out of proportion.”

Ikechukwu Olgee Ogbonna, Abuja resident: “No, I won’t like that because I value my privacy and would like to keep my immediate family life that way.”

Ajunwa Chiamaka Blessing, Dancer: She described it as complicated. However, she said, “No, I wouldn’t want to live close to my in-laws because they may want to use that as an advantage to pry into my family issues and also take undue advantage of my weak sides. Also, I do not think it is wise to stay close to your parents.”

Chuks Enyi, married with kids: “I don’t think there is any advantage or disadvantage in living close to your in-laws. Some folks may have reservations because of the perceived influence the in-laws will have on their daughter, but the truth is, proximity is not an issue as long as they can communicate through other means like handset which one can do nothing about,” he said.

Also speaking to Lifextra, Mohammed Umar Babangida, from Talata Mafara in Zamfara State, said, “I am planning to not only live far away from my in-laws but my parents too.” Citing two reasons, he added, “First, I believe that my children will always be happy and eager for the holidays to travel to a different environment to see their grandparents. It will be boring for them and me as well to live close by with my in-laws.

“Secondly, I believe we will be entering a new phase in our life (by getting married) so, I suppose it is only better to be away from them to build our own life, to know ourselves very well with little or no undue interference from our families.”