How to handle someone who is always negative and moany

[Scootergrrrl]

As part of a committee in our very small village, there is one woman who is ALWAYS moaning and negative about everything. She spends most of her time shouting at one of her children and the rest of the time complaining. She also has a martyr thing going on and quite often threatens to walk out or stop being part of the group when things don't go the way she wants. I think she does have good intentions but she's also quite abrupt and is starting to rub people up the wrong way. Is there a way to manage behaviour like this does anyone think, or it it inevitable that she's never going to be a ray of sunshine?

What happens when she threatens to leave? Why don't you all just let her? These people often get involved in charity/volunteer work simply because they know no one else would choose to spend time with them...

Seriously I used to work with one of them - you'd come in, bright and breezy, it's a lovely day and you'd politely ask "How are you this morning?" and he'd respond with "I'm not dead... yet." Man alive, was I glad when he finally quit!!! I hadn't realised until then just quite how draining it had been to be around him all the time.

This has just made me think of one of my father's phrases (always said by him in jest, I hasten to add).

Are you always this or is today a special occasion?

Could be if you're taking the blunt route, or if you think she'll respond better to sarcasm.

Either she'll realise what she's been doing or she'll go off in a huff. Either way, it changes things, and that's got to be better than the slow death her current behaviour is inflicting on the rest of you.