How to Handle a Flirtatious Brother in Law

A flirtatious brother-in-law may create a very uncomfortable situation. How you deal with it will depend on how badly it affects you as well as the intention of your brother-in-law.
Ignore it
If you feel like brother-in-law simply is flirtatious and has no motive or goal besides making some comments, then you may want to ignore him. Some people just naturally have this personality, and they may not even realize that they are doing it. If no one seems bothered by it, and it really doesn’t bother you, then you might want to forget about it.
Talk to him
If you are uncomfortable by your brother-in-law’s flirtations, if you feel that others are noticing, or if you think that he is looking for more, then you might feel like you need to take action. You may want to talk to your brother-in-law. Even in this case, he may not even realize what he is doing or how it makes you feel. You may want to start by bringing it up as gently as possible so as not to insult him of you think that he really is harmless and does not have an ulterior motive. You can just mention that you are a little uncomfortable. You may want to bring up specific instances so that he understands what you are talking about. He may apologize and be embarrassed. Hopefully, it will stop. If it does, then you may want to just leave it at that. If not, then further action is called for.
Speak to your sister or husband
If you are not comfortable ignoring it, and he does not change when you talk to him (or if you are too embarrassed to talk to him), then you can talk to the relative who binds you. This will be either your sister (because it is her husband) or your husband (because it is his brother). You can explain the problem and how it makes you feel. You can ask that they talk to them. They are likely to have a closer relationship with him and might be able to get through.
If nothing seems to work, then you may want to avoid your brother-in-law altogether. You should not have to put up with something that makes you uncomfortable so you can try to avoid the events where he might be at. If you have no choice, then try to avoid his presence and leave. Be strong when dealing with your flirtatious brother-in-law.
Updated On: 09/24/2010 Published On: 09/24/2010 Article ViewerClose
Helium 360 – Celebrations 360
CELEBRATIONS PROJECT 20100901 – 20100930
How to keep Christmas Stress Free in 2010
by Suzanne Rose
WritingImagesAttachments