I've heard this adage saying "a son is a son until he takes a wife but a daughter is a daughter all her life".
I think this statement has a lot to do with relationships between in-laws, family members, and husbands and wives.
Once sons are married, their relationship with wives, new family that they choose takes precedent over the family he grew up in. This is not to say that he is no more a son. He is still a son but his primary role is to serve, protect, and keep his new family. He has new roles as a husband and a man. Wives become their primary woman figure and this is when mothers need to cut their emotional apron strings with their son.
Daughters-in-law are oriented toward their families of birth because they have known their own parents for their whole lives.This orientation toward their own parents and its impact on the couple starts with the wedding and continues through pregnancies and then on to the birth of their children.
Men are often left out during these important life events, and their parents are also pushed aside. Traditionally, the wife/mother controls the children's schedules. Because the woman's own mother has been intimately involved in the kids' lives from the start, there is a bond between them that the younger mother actively fosters and values.
I don't think any of this is fair, but it seems to be the default position of many families.
Do you guys agree with this statement? I think that a lot of in- laws and our parents need to understand what marriage is about and what the foundation of this statement is. I've read and heard a lot about FH and FW not speaking up to their own parents to protect their own fiances and it's about time every parent start realizing what marriage and becoming husband/wive means.
