RESEARCH_FILE
Lucy Rose Fischer
University of Minnesota
Known for:Early empirical research distinguishing the mother-daughter bond from the mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship, and how both shift after a grandchild's birth
SEE THE PRACTICE
Turn a thought this research explains into one clear move.
THE THOUGHT
“She'll never think I'm good enough for him”
YOUR RECORDED RESPONSE
“I'm not auditioning for a place I already occupy in his life.”
ONE PRIVATE MOVE
Before the next visit, write down three true things about yourself that have nothing to do with her opinion of you. Reread them once in private the morning you see her.
Key findings
- 1983
After the birth of a grandchild, the mother-daughter bond often grows closer while the mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship becomes more distant and formal — and a mother-in-law's offer of help is sometimes read as intrusion rather than support. Mothers and Mothers-in-Law ↗
- 1983
In a companion study of the transition into the grandmother role, Fischer finds that becoming a grandmother reshapes family boundaries — often drawing a woman closer to her own adult child while formalizing her relationship with that child's spouse. Transition to Grandmotherhood ↗