Deborah Merrill, professor of sociology, was quoted in a New York Times story on the dynamics between mothers and daughters who are planning weddings.

Here is an excerpt:

” ‘Because people are marrying older, women in their late 20s, late 30s have an increase in emotional maturity,’ said Deborah M. Merrill, author of ‘When Your Children Marry: How Marriage Changes Relationships With Sons and Daughters,’ and a sociology professor at Clark University in Worcester, Mass. ‘They’re more mindful of their mother’s feelings. They have better coping skills and are better at problem solving. They may not want their mothers there, but they are more thoughtful about how they say it. And that’s a real shift.'”