Veteran Nigerian actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde has offered guidance to couples experiencing clashes with their partners’ families as she counsels on family dynamics.
Omotola, who spoke in a recent interview on “The Morayo Show”, urged individuals to make sincere efforts to foster understanding and build trust with disapproving relatives through patience and consistent engagement.
According to the actress, early challenges often arise from misconceptions, stereotypes and prejudices, noting that some families form judgments based on ethnic background or other personal biases.
“But through life, as an Omotola, I would advise that if the family of your spouse doesn’t like you, try everything you possibly can to make them understand you.
“However, there are some parents who are simply determined not to like you.
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“There is nothing you’re going to do. They already have prejudices, you know, they’ve decided that maybe they don’t like you because you’re from a particular place in Nigeria or the world, or they already have their own opinions”, she said.
She, however, cautions that not all opposition can be overcome. Marriage is a demanding institution, and Omotola stresses that entering a lifelong union without family support can be unnecessarily challenging.
“Some might change their mind, even that is dicey, because it means that they might change it again, but my advice is truly, it’s not worth it. Marriage in itself is already an institution where you’re going to face a lot. It’s a lifetime journey”, she continued.
She advised couples to think critically before committing to relationships where hostility persists, emphasising the importance of having support from the beginning, saying the journey can be very rough without it.
“So why do you want to start with people that already have some type of, you know, against you? You want to go in, in love, because every step of the way you’re going to need support.
“So if these people are not going to support you from the beginning, you’re going to have a very rough journey. If that’s the life you want, then good luck and go for it”, she concluded.
