Still Talking About It

Gift giving is supposed to be nice, right? So why does it cause SO much drama in families?
 
This week, we're Still Talking About… Gifts. Janelle gets into the surprisingly complicated role gifts can play in difficult family relationships, from overgifting and grandparent competition to gifts that feel like they come with some pretty big strings attached.
 
She also talks about the weird position parents can find themselves in when a grandparent is happy to shower the kids with presents but puts very little effort into actually building a relationship with them. Because while kids obviously LOVE getting stuff, there's a pretty big difference between buying them things and actually showing up.
 
The episode also gets into favouritism between grandchildren, grandparents who completely ignore parents' requests around gifts, and why asking someone to please buy less stuff shouldn't turn into a family crisis.
 
For more mother-in-law content, make sure you're following Janelle on Instagram and TikTok.

This week, Janelle hits 'pause' on her vacation to sit down in her cabin and talk about one of the most common pieces of advice people give when family relationships get complicated… "Just work it out."
 
Sounds easy enough. But what does "working it out" actually mean when one person is expected to do all the apologizing, all the compromising, and all the emotional labor?
 
Janelle shares her own experience with being told to repair relationships that lacked accountability, why so much advice comes from people who have never actually lived through these dynamics, and how easy it is for outsiders to underestimate what has already happened behind closed doors.
 
She also spills the tea on a distant relative of her own mother-in-law showing up in her Instagram comments to antagonize her.
 
For more mother-in-law content, make sure you're following Janelle on Instagram and TikTok.
 
PS. If you want to see the Instagram skit Janelle referred to in this episode, you can watch it here.

This week, Janelle is answering your questions in another listener Q&A episode.
 
She shares her thoughts on everything from going no contact and explaining difficult family relationships to your children, to what happens when a spouse refuses to stand up for their partner. She also weighs in on guilt, healing, religion being used to justify unhealthy behavior, and whether you really have to call your in-laws "Mom" and "Dad."
 
Along the way, Janelle opens up about balancing work, motherhood, and content creation, reflects on her own healing journey, and offers practical advice for navigating some of the most common questions she receives from her followers.
And, if you're curious and want to check out last week's episode, in which Janelle addresses the recent death of her own MIL, head to her YouTube channel and watch it here.
For more mother-in-law content, make sure you're following Janelle on Instagram and TikTok.

This week, Janelle is joined by Melissa, a follower whose relationship with her own mother-in-law has been marked by years of subtle digs, impossible expectations, and what she describes as "death by a thousand cuts."
 
Melissa shares how the tension started almost immediately, the countless moments that chipped away at the relationship over the years, and the incident that ultimately led her husband to draw a line in the sand and ask his mother for an apology.
 
The conversation explores how small comments can have a lasting impact, why accountability matters, and what happens when someone refuses to acknowledge the hurt they've caused. Melissa also opens up about the complicated reality of moving forward when boundaries have been set, but the conflict is far from over.
 
For more mother-in-law content, make sure you're following Janelle on Instagram and TikTok.

This week, Janelle shares something deeply personal. After years of talking about difficult family dynamics online, inspired largely by her relationship with her own mother-in-law, she received the difficult news that her mother-in-law had passed away.
 
She opens up about what the last few weeks have looked like for her family, why a terminal diagnosis doesn't erase years of complicated history, and what it's been like watching her husband navigate grief, estrangement, and unanswered attempts to reconnect.
 
The conversation also explores the difficult decisions families sometimes face at the end of someone's life, why boundaries don't suddenly disappear because circumstances change, and how complicated relationships often remain complicated until the very end.
 
For more mother-in-law content, make sure you're following Janelle on Instagram and TikTok.