Italian Marriages Suffer from TMM: Too Much Mother-in-Law

Mother-in-law problems cross borders and oceans – and apparently in Italy, they’re being blamed for a recent rise in the divorce rate. Some of the main reasons often cited for marriage problems include marrying too young, arguing over money, and meeting new partners – but a to a new poll by research institute Eures reports that three out of every 10 marriages fail because of the “unusually close attachment of Italian men to their mothers.”

The “mamma’s boy” phenomenon is so prevalent in Italy, in fact, there’s an Italian word for it – mammoni . “The concept of mammoni – sons who cling to apron strings – is well known in Italy and it is not uncommon for men in their thirties and forties to live with their parents.” This is partly due to pure economics, as the unemployment rate in Italy is quite high – many of the men (and women) who still live at home do so becuase they have trouble finding work. That doesn’t explain it all away, of course…

So, ladies, if you’ve always dreamed of finding the perfect Italian man to spend the rest of your life with, be warned:

‘In Italy there still exists a sort of mother love that is excessive,’ said psychologist Dr Annamaria Cassanese, who says she sees many disillusioned daughters-in-law at her practice in Milan. ‘It is a very Latin thing, deeply embedded in our social structure. For example, you will see mothers crying at the weddings of their sons, but they are not crying for joy, they are crying because they feel devastated. Their son has chosen another woman and it arouses very complex feelings, including jealousy.’

Just read the whole article, and don’t way I didn’t warn you.