I live with my husband’s family in a five-story house. Whenever someone visits, my mother-in-law proudly holds my brother-in-law’s son and says: “He’s the spitting image of his father, so he’ll definitely be smart and successful in the future.”

Meanwhile, my son is ignored. Once, when he eagerly ran over to her asking to be held, she simply looked at him and said: “I’m holding your brother right now. Go to your mom and be a good boy.”

Whenever the two boys fight over a toy, no matter whose toy it is, my mother-in-law always makes my son give it up to his cousin. Even at mealtimes, she focuses entirely on my brother-in-law’s son, while telling my son: “Don’t eat too much, as too many nutrients will make you obese and hit puberty early.”

I still remember their first birthdays—my mother-in-law threw an extravagant party for my brother-in-law’s son, while my son had to share his birthday celebration with him, even though the two boys were born just three days apart.

I really don’t understand why this favoritism exists. I even asked my husband if his mother dislikes me and extends that dislike to my son. Yet, I can’t pinpoint any reason why my mother-in-law wouldn’t like me—that’s just my assumption.

Should I have an honest conversation with my mother-in-law, or should I just endure it and consider it a trivial matter?