Hi, Carolyn: What phrases do you have for a 40-something woman who wants her in-laws to respect her body autonomy? I am not close to my husband's extended family by any means, with the exception of my mother- and father-in-law. But his whole family is touchy-feely and certain people get offended if I don't hug them, making comments like, "Oh, you don't want to hug me, huh?" I resent how they make it seem like I'm the problem when I say, "No hugs," or "Hi, let's not hug." So the problem isn’t that his family is offended and pouting, it’s that you’re letting their offended pouting get to you.

Source: Washington Post January 25, 2021 04:52 UTC