Dear Annie: I feel your advice didn’t go far enough when responding to “Am I Wrong,” the man whose father-in-law is constantly making jabs at him about his kids’ religious training and other matters.

He was ready to divorce his wife over the FIL’s mistreatment. You essentially encouraged him to be patient with his wife and not hold her dad’s behavior against her.

I disagree. His wife should have stood up to her parents years ago.

She should have said: “Mom, Dad, I love you, but if you continue to make disparaging remarks about my husband or me, you will be seeing a LOT less of us. Have I made myself clear?” That’s it. Hard stop.

At this point, the letter writer and his wife need to work with a licensed marriage and family therapist to learn how to present a united front to her parents. — Debbie

Dear Debbie: Seeing a marriage counselor would be an excellent idea for this couple, as the father-in-law has saddled them with plenty of baggage over the years that they’ll need to unpack if they’re to live happily together.

Thanks for the note.

Read more Dear Annie and other advice columns.

“How Can I Forgive My Cheating Partner?” is out now! Annie Lane’s second anthology — featuring favorite columns on marriage, infidelity, communication and reconciliation — is available as a paperback and e-book. Visit Creators Publishing for more information. Send your questions for Annie Lane to [email protected].