Being disliked by a family member is something I'll never learn to live with

It's a cliche, but I'm living it.

Despite the fact it's considered top-notch material for decades worth of jokes from tired and jaded comedians, disliking your mother-in-law is far from funny.

It's draining, heartwrenching and it can make you feel like you're failing on a number of levels - as a mum, as a wife and as a daughter-in-law.

Seeking the approval of your partner's family is something the vast majority of us strive for and when you don't get it, you can begin questioning the relationship you share with your other half.

"If certain family members don't click with me, how long will it be before he starts looking at me through their eyes?" you'll find yourself thinking in some of your more vulnerable moments.

And while I fundamentally don't appreciate most of the things my partner's mum stands for, I still find myself longing for her validation.

It reminds me of wanting to be friends with the bitchiest girl in the class simply because you didn't want to be on the wrong side of her.

It was just simpler, wasn't it?

While I may not agree with her opinion on same-sex marriage, a child's role in a family or the dynamic which should exist between a man and woman, I still want to be liked by her.

It would make my life so much easier.

Yes, it would be superficial and yes, it would be inadequate in many ways, but it would also offer a source of comfort on some levels.

Knowing you have a mother-in-law who respects you, and appreciates the role you play in her son and grandchildrens' lives is nothing to be sniffed at.

Feeling belittled or demeaned, no matter how subtle the approach, is not simple and it doesn't make life easy.

In some of my more optimistic and confident moments, I rejoice in the fact that a woman of her scathing and scornful nature finds so little in common with me, my perspective, my opinion and my approach to life.

Hell, if this was any other woman, I'd be proud to stand on the opposing team.

But it's not any other woman, it's my husband's own mother.

The woman who shares an incredibly close bond with her son – my partner in life.

Surely, we should all be on the same team.

It might be one of the biggest cliches in the world, but that doesn't mean I'm not living it.