I’ve got a father-in-law who is very inconsistent with his moods and body cues. For one day he will laugh at any joke you tell him, and the next he will shout at you for a perceived slight from hours ago and then give you the cold shoulder. He’s made me cry from his attitude shifts.
My wife can’t get through to him without a fight happening.
His wife (my mother-in-law) is calm and understandable, but is a pushover for him.
Have any of you navigated hard relations with an in-law? Do you have any tips?
He might be bi-polar? Regardless, you only need to show him the minimum socially required courtesies that is due to his position. I.e., to go visit him once in a while, ensure that everything is ok, to be courteous while speaking to him and to let him command the BBQ pit at his house. If you know something you’ll do might trigger him, simply stop doing it. Say mmm hmm, yes, smile and nod a lot.