Do you know someone who is "hard work"?

[BiggyJ]

Spending time with family over Christmas, and there's this one person who is really hard work.
They're hard to please.
Nothing is ever good enough and in the end, I just stop bothering to interact.

Anyone else have someone like this in their life?

I am also that person that never looks happy. It's too hard to put constant effort in to looking happy, and with essentially no reward. But underneath I am usually fine and can have fun. You've just got to bear with us I am afraid.

Yes, a close relative.

I find it really sad to be honest, she clearly doesn’t enjoy life. She moans about every, last, little thing. It makes spending time with them really difficult and it only seems to be getting worse. I genuinely worry for her.

Balancedcitizen101
I can be like that.
Happy but forgetting to smile.Worse as I got older.

I think I am hard work. I have a minor speech and hearing disability. I try to make conversation even though I am quiet and introverted. I also work full time in my 50s, have tweens in competitive sport, and am often tired.

As another poster said, if you are not talking with perfect speech about drunken nights out and holidays then you are hard work.

This one whacked me between the eyeballs - I don’t think I’ve come across someone describing MY mum so well. What a relief to hear that I’m not the only one that struggles with this.

My mum will never (has never, not an age thing, had always done this) take something said to her at face value. There is always some underlying reason that what the person means with their perfectly straightforward words is entirely different to what they said. It’s exhausting and often upsetting

My brother. He has a drink problem and is laziness personified. He's leeched off my mum for years, moved in with my parents because he couldn't manage money and was basically bankrupt. He takes no responsibility for anything and is the king of passive aggressive comments. He's also constantly angry at people just doing their job. Thank god he opted out of Christmas dinner and New Year's Day dinner too.

Oh yes!! The in laws! Nothing correct, ruined many parties and get together.

Yes, one former close friend and some family members.

My elderly DM. Unfortunately I'm also her carer.

Erm.

😂

@TinselQueen
Happy to hear that you are happy on the inside!
The woman I know probably is, too.

We all express ourself differently.

@MurdoMunro @NobleDeeds shove up!
Whats going on here? DM is lovely, but the double guessing is something else.

Ha! Yes, yes I do.

My mum will never (has never, not an age thing, had always done this) take something said to her at face value. There is always some underlying reason that what the person means with their perfectly straightforward words is entirely different to what they said. It’s exhausting and often upsetting

My DM is exactly like this. I agree it is absolutely exhausting. I’m getting better with age but I was a people pleaser in my teens and 20s because I was so used to having to pick my words so incredibly carefully through fear of what ridiculous reasoning her brain would come up with. Despite being surface level pleasant she is much harder work then some straight forward, albeit negative/moany people I come across. At least you know where you stand with them!

I have a SiL who is seriously hard work,,so thank goodness I don’t have to see her very often, and certainly not at Christmas.

There’s THREE of us??!! I wonder what would happen if we put the three of them together for an afternoon?

My mother will hear anything anyone says and leap to the worst case scenario or some negative outcome or reasoning every time. I put it down to loneliness, as she obviously spends quite a lot of time imagining things, plus anxiety or sometimes jealousy. It's very hard work, constantly untangling her thought train.

Two, a friend and a relative, both women. Both women, unfortunately, who asked me to be a bridesmaid. I nearly got an ulcer with one of their astonishingly overcomplicated drama-ridden weddings, the relationship hasn’t been the same since.

Hello, long-lost sisters. 😀💐

Person I worked with. Impossible to please. Constantly finding things to be upset about. I couldn't do anything right by her. Everything I did was wrong. Very manipulative and bullying. I get upset just thinking about it. I left my job because I couldn't stand it anymore. I lost so much confidence.

Horrible @DaphneLaurel. It’s amazing how these people can spread their infection. I hope things are better for you now

shiiiiiiiiiiiiii-it 🤯

Oh god yeah, all 3 of my SILs. For differing reasons.
One is a snob who thinks she's better than everyone
One would like people to think she's a snob but no chance
And the other because she's two faced.

I'm hard work. I'm peri, on my period and I'm AuDHD.

I absolutely hate myself atm.

My MiL. She is unbelievably hard work, the second guessing thing describes her, but she will construe the most negative meaning from every sentence.

She also hates me, I’m a brilliant DiL (no need for false modesty here) and I’m the only one she has, but she thinks I hate her and behaves accordingly. I don’t hate her, never have, I’m the only reason she has a relationship with her DGC and with her son, I get her every birthday and Christmas presents. Her negativity is so draining, the DC struggle to be around her now that they are older and more aware.