Before marriage, I loved seeing how much my husband respected his mother. However, once I got married and settled into our home, I soon realised something surprising: my husband was a complete mama's boy!

At first, I panicked. Oh God! This can't be happening to me. Being an only son, his dependence on his mother was overwhelming. Mothers often want to keep their sons close even after marriage, driven by a sense of insecurity that keeps nagging them.

Initially, my husband couldn't function without his mother. He was a walking, talking mama's boy. He would ask, "Mom, where's my towel? My shirt? My mom makes the best food. Mom, can we go out? Why don't you come along? And Mom, please wake me up early for breakfast!" Even my mother-in-law saw nothing wrong with this.   

She was two steps ahead, barging into our room without knocking or even checking the time. Even on holidays, mother and son spent their time together, oblivious to how intolerant their behaviour was. Before heading to the office, he would spend time with her, and after returning, he would sit with her late into the night, calling her twice a day from work. My mother-in-law was happy and satisfied that her son was still so attached to her, even after marriage.

It felt like a hilarious comedy show of mother and son, and I was an unwilling spectator. My initial reaction was to throw angry tantrums, but I soon realised that this approach would not solve my problem; my husband was unaware of what he was doing wrong.

I decided to use an old strategy: 'Divide and Rule.' I started spending more time with my mother-in-law, praising her shopping skills, fashion sense, cooking, wisdom, and ability to perform every task perfectly.

My mother-in-law was on cloud nine, thrilled to know that her daughter-in-law was in her favour. When my husband called her for some errands, she would tell him, " Call your wife to do your chores; stop disturbing me." Whenever he chose to spend time with her, I was there first. 

Slowly, things started changing. My mother-in-law began to enjoy my company, and we would go shopping and visit relatives without my husband. Meanwhile, my husband's dependence on her started to decrease. He began discussing things with me and started to crave my company. He finally understood the meaning of 'Me time.'

My husband and mother-in-law began to find a balance in their relationship. He stopped asking and discussing everything with her, while she enjoyed having another female companion. My patience and strategy started to show results. They have now struck a balance in their relationships. The mama's boy is now my husband and the tug of war has ended in harmony.