MIL only capable of inane babble

One example, a donkey made a visit to her care home. He’s a lovely friendly donkey and the owners love him. The residents get carrots to give to the donkey. MIL turned to me and said
‘Doesn’t he chew well?’ FFS what do I say to that?

Would ‘Yes, he chews really well, MIL!’, fit the bill, perhaps?

Is she lonely? If she doesn't see many people during the week maybe her social skills have gone a bit rusty. Could she also be unhappy, especially if she is in recovery from a drinking problem. I know in the times in my life where I have been desperately unhappy I have been guilty of keeping conversations toxicly positive to avoid breaking down.

I think the suggestion of taking her out is a very good one.

My MIL is exactly the same. It’s infuriating and I feel like I don’t actually know her at all because she never expresses a real opinion or thought. Someone could be telling her about their friend who has dropped out of college to become a meth dealer and she’d respond with “Oh well, to each their own.”

Why would she be nervous around her own son and Dil shes presumably known for years?

Started noticing this in a friend in our wider group she’s on constant transmit - just witters on non stop mostly drivel. Nice enough woman but realised I can’t be in her company longer than about 2 hours.

Snowfrogyour reaction is odd are you like this yourself? Why so aggressive to the op? People are allowed (anonymous) opinions.

She does sound like she could be neurodiverse - especially the fact that she is worse since you see her more. It’s much harder to mask on a regular basis than it is occasionally.

And if she’s stopped drinking then that may also be adding to a nervousness if she used the alcohol as a confidence boost.

Ok how about judgy and superior

OP I feel your pain. My MIL drives me insane with her pointless babble. I have to zone out and ignore her otherwise I will explode.
One example, a donkey made a visit to her care home. He’s a lovely friendly donkey and the owners love him. The residents get carrots to give to the donkey. MIL turned to me and said
‘Doesn’t he chew well?’ FFS what do I say to that?
Her son (my DH) knows that she will talk absolute nonsense. Let’s face it, he’s had a lifetime of it. He zones out and leaves me to pick up the pieces. I’m wise to it now, I do the same.
Anyone ever watched the film Clockwise with John Cleese? They pick up a woman in one of the cars and she talks non stop about nothing the whole journey.

My MIL is 92 and is as bright as a button. Nothing gets past her and she sees and knows everything. She definatly does not have any form of memory loss.

Sorry OP, I don’t know what to tell you. I just zone out, it’s the only way I can cope.

This is like “the ick”. Once you’ve noticed something like this and it annoys you that’s it.

Mil is the opposite extremely negative. It’s so bad it’s almost funny.

I’d get out of the house or do an activity or a project. I do this with my mother who is similar but in a mildly negative way. A walk to the park and a coffee, a big jigsaw that gets rolled out when she’s there, a trip to a local NT property, a beauty treatment at a local spa, a mooch round Waterstones or John Lewis, etc.

What's 'babbly' about the OP's post? It sounds as if you're saying that just for the sake of having something to say.

She is probably wishing she could get on with her day. Several hours is far too long to impose on people.
Your husband can visit all he wants, no need to join him often.

Bit harsh.. your post is rather babbly

I wish my mil was more like that!

Mine is a major over sharer. She goes on about how fat she is, her depression, different medications she's on, and she ends up crying at some point almost every day of a visit.

It's just awkward!

Could she be nervous? Especially if she's picking up on your annoyance at her, or she feels she's not meeting your expectations.
It sounds like you might be coming across as trying to hard and the pressure to perform to a certain standard might be adding to her nervousness.
Could you go to a garden centre or a walk or do some gardening together, something other than sitting there trying to force conversation?
Ask her to help you with something physically, she might feel more relaxed doing something and allow the conversation to come more naturally.

She's just different to you, so just turn this way of thinking around and have some fun with her in your own private way. Ask what she thinks of you having some massive tattoos on your neck , both of you having your hair dyed green, it. See how optimistic she is then .😀

I would nip that in the bud. Try to not be available every Saturday. If he thinks his mother is so lovely, he can spend time talking to her.

I get it. I would struggle to converse with someone like that. Does she not have many people in her life to practise the art of conversation with? My DH’s auntie is like this. She lives alone and no friends so when she speaks to family she talks over them all the time and goes on and on and on about very dull topics. I try to engage but honestly, it’s really difficult and boring and I don’t feel heard at all.

She sounds infuriating. Ignore the people on here who sat you're being mean. People on here take delight in being doormats and shaming anyone who doesn't want to do that. That said, I don't think there's anything you can do except limit how much time you spend with her.

She’s probably nervous in your company. Give it time. And don’t be snappy.

Well, you just keep up your snappiness with her and hopefully she won’t wanna see you any more, so you will be doing her a favour.

As problems go, this is so minor, surely?

She's trying to be nice.

Maybe she isn't very intelligent or very confident? It doesn't sound as if any of this is her fault.

If you find it hard discussing important things with her, then ... um, don't?!

You do sound mean and stuck up op