When Family Gets Complicated: Boundaries, In-Laws & Estrangement | Guest: Jim Burns

This week on Marriage on the Daily, Julie B. sits down with author, speaker, and longtime marriage and family expert Jim Burns for an important conversation about navigating relationships with parents and in-laws after you say “I do.” With 52 years of marriage experience, Jim shares practical wisdom for couples learning how to build their own family while still honoring the families they came from.Julie and Jim tackle the growing issue of estrangement between adult children and their parents, why disagreements and family conflict can so easily create distance, and how healthy boundaries can provide structure without becoming walls. They also discuss the importance of finding your voice as a couple, refusing to throw your spouse “under the bus” with your family, avoiding triangulation, and learning to approach conflict from a place of “we” rather than “I’m right and you’re wrong.”Jim also shares why reconciliation should be the goal whenever possible, how couples can break unhealthy generational patterns, and the simple spiritual practice he believes has helped strengthen his own 52-year marriage: praying together every day and intentionally making time for spiritual connection.If you’re figuring out boundaries with parents, navigating difficult in-law dynamics, or simply trying to build a healthier foundation for your marriage, this episode offers encouragement and practical tools for doing relationships well—on the daily.