Psychological Signs A Mother Is Flirting With Her Daughter’s Partner

1. The mother/daughter relationship

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The mother/daughter relationship has always fascinated researchers with the strong bonds, complications, and understanding of emotions.  And it's no surprise that mother/daughter relationships are hugely varied and multifaceted, and are generally influenced by many sociocultural, psychological, and biological factors.

2. Being BFFs

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Some recent research has found the modern mother/daughter relationship is similar to that of BFFs, or 'Best Friends Forever'.  You know, that relationship you have with good friends where you're able to tell each other everything, as well as do everything together.  And although this sounds ideal, some of the research has actually found that this kind of relationship can be quite complicated.

3. Too close for comfort

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You see, with a mother/daughter relationship, there has to be a clear line on who has the authority to make decisions.  Mothers want to protect their daughters but have been known to struggle with their offspring's need for independence and autonomy to make their own decisions.

4. Blurred boundaries

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So sharing absolutely everything with each other, as BFFs do, can eventually put quite a strain on the relationship, particularly because there is more chance of having really blurred boundaries which often get overstepped or even ignored.  And not having clear boundaries might restrict the independence or privacy of the other party.

5. Is she really flirting with their daughter's partner?

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But if we think about the issue at hand here, could this kind of mother/daughter relationship cause problems with romantic relationships?  Like say, if you suspect that a mother is flirting with their daughter's partner.  In truth, there might be a chance, but if we think about it more realistically, could she just be acting friendly and the blurred boundaries and BFF style relationship just make it seem like she's flirting?

6. What about the excessive compliments?

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We know what you're thinking, though, you're probably thinking: "But what about the excessive compliments?  No one compliments someone else THAT much, surely!"  You might have noticed that there's an unnatural and slightly uncomfortable atmosphere as the mother compliments her daughter's partner at every opportunity.

7. Or the physical touch?

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On top of this, there's also the physical touch too.  We mean, yes, there is a chance that she touches everybody when she's speaking to them, but even if there's no intention behind it, this doesn't mean that it's harmless as it can make people rather uncomfortable and cross their boundaries.

8. She makes inappropriate jokes or comments

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Some daughters can be embarrassed by their moms, especially when they enter the dreaded teenage years, and everything their mom does feels inappropriate just because it's embarrassing for some reason.  But it's when inappropriate jokes or comments are aimed at her daughter's partner, this could be seen as flirting.

9. There's a lot of eye contact

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Looking into someone's eyes as you have a conversation with them can show them that you're really listening to them.  But if you've noticed that there's a lot of forced and excessive eye contact, in what's referred to as the 'flirting triangle' (eye-eye-mouth) then this might be a sure way of getting attention from someone.

10. Flirtatious body language

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And it doesn't just stop at eye contact.  No way!  In fact, you might have noticed a lot of flirtatious body language too.  Examples include facing them, having their leg crossed towards them, touching them, batting their eyelids, walking slowly and effortlessly, smiling... You get the idea...

11. Conversations that are too personal

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When you introduce your partner to your parents, you probably expect a few questions fired at them as they attempt to find out a little more about who you're dating.  But it might be flirting if the subjects of the conversations start to become a little too personal.

12. Oversharing

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When conversations start to become a little too personal for your liking, this is where the oversharing might ensue.  And when your mom overshares with your partner, this can become incredibly awkward, and cross your boundaries and make you wonder what their motive might be.

13. Subtly mirroring behavior

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Now this psychological sign is a strange one, but when you notice her mirroring the behavior or speech patterns of your partner, however subtle it might be, this could mean that they're testing the waters in terms of their levels of interest in them.  This can be subconscious behavior but this behavior has often been found to mean that someone likes someone else.

14. Always ending up alone with him

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It's a worrying thought, but have you noticed that they always seem to end up alone together?  And if you delve into how exactly that always happens, it's usually the flirter's doing.  You see, the mom might seem to come up with situations so they do end up alone together.

15. Making comparisons

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Do you keep wondering why she keeps comparing your partner to other people?  It could be to her other kids, to friends, and even to ex or current partners!  And these comparisons usually end up being incredibly complementary and flattering and seem to be tailored in a way that makes your partner feel good about themselves, rather than uncomfortable.

16. Excessive laughter

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Come on, he's not THAT funny!  So why is she always laughing at him? Perhaps you just didn't get the joke, or maybe this is another flirtatious method of getting some attention.  Or maybe she just genuinely finds him hilarious and you're just not appreciating the comedy genius...

17. Glamming up

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Is it just us or does she look way more glamorous each time you visit with your partner than when you visit alone?  To be honest, you've known her all your life so she's probably just comfortable with you, whereas with the new company, what's wrong with putting a bit of effort in?

18. Messaging

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Ping... Ping... Your partner's phone seems to go off a lot.  One sign that a mom is flirting with her partner's daughter might be her ability to find them on social media, gain contact details, and message them instead of her daughter when making arrangements.

19. Are we concerned about the gifts?

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No really, are we concerned about the gifts your partner gets compared to you?  Perhaps they're just really personal, so much so in fact, that you wonder whether she knows your partner better than YOU do.  Why didn't you think of the most thoughtful gift, why was it your mom?

20. Personal space invasion

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Warning, warning, personal space invader!  Physical proximity is something that you kind of get to know when you meet someone new.  Never too close for comfort, just the right amount, but when someone crosses these boundaries, this can be an invasion of personal space which in itself could be seen as flirting!

21. Playful banter

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They might share some in-jokes and this can surface as playful banter.  You know, when someone criticizes someone else for a joke and it reveals how they like the other person in a more than friendly way?  And it's really difficult to hide it, they make it way too obvious.

22. Long conversations

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You might have noticed that you struggle to get a word in edgeways when it comes to family get-togethers.  You try to butt in but they're too engaged in their longer than is normal conversation.  They never seem stuck for words, and it's either they just love chatting and flirting, or they're just trying to be polite responding to one another.

23. Weird pet names

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You also be left cringing after she calls your partner by some weird and inappropriate pet name, only reserved for romantic partners... usually.  "Pumpkin", "sugar", "sweetpea", and "muffin" are some of the usual culprits and to be quite honest, it's enough to make you shudder!

24. Social media

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She might also friend request her daughter's partner on each social media platform and attempt to send messages or post risque images with the apparent hope that they'll see them.  Heck, she might even create a social media profile with the sole purpose of finding them.

25. Inside jokes

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You might notice that you don't seem to be 'in' on the conversations that they seem to have.  And you're just not finding anything they laugh at funny.  Perhaps this is how far her flirting has got them; they've not got inside jokes that you're just not savvy to at all.

26. Emotional manipulation

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One quite serious and problematic psychological sign might be if the mother consistently uses emotional manipulation tactics in order to get a little closer to her daughter's partner.  Guilt-tripping and playing the victim can be a sure way for a person to get someone else's attention or sympathy and could really drive a wedge through the mother/daughter relationship.

27. The green-eyed monster

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Perhaps the green-eyed monster rears its ugly head when you're just not expecting it.  Perhaps she shows undesired signs of jealousy when her daughter's partner spends their time with others.  And it's unpleasant and goes way beyond the usual relationship.

28. Ignoring boundaries

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There might also be a complete invasion of your and your partner's boundaries as well and it's as if she can no longer see them or understand why they exist.  Not acknowledging your boundaries can put a serious strain on your relationship with her too.

29. Selective affection

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She might also only seem to show affection for certain people in her life, and, of course, her daughter's partner is probably at the top of that list.  You might notice that when the partner is around, she is rather distracted and seems to show them the most attention.

30. Approach with caution

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It's really difficult to really understand and get to the bottom of other people's emotions, and an accusation like this can really destroy multiple relationships.  However, if you are actually concerned, it might be better to approach with caution and perhaps begin with clearly stating boundaries.