Or is NC the only way?
The kind of people who stealth boast all the time, compete in everything, grabby and greedy. If someone is better than them at ANYthing, they have to put them down instantly. Like say it’s no big deal or something.
SIL has a child the same age as my twins. I have an older child who is particularly good at one sport. She keeps posting on Facebook how her little 5yr old is soo good at THIS PARTICULAR sport and can do better than other kids way older than him (my 13 yr old)!! Wtf ! She kept quizzing my twins on their math skills and then went on to display her DS’s “talent” to my twins. We don’t do pushy/ hot house parenting. Not at reception level. They do. No judgement, absolutely their choice. What got me mad was here using my kids to push her child’s confidence!!
She either has better stuff than us or the things we have arent good enough. She HAS to tell us why she’ll never buy a stupid Tesla because she thinks they are not safe or something else. We never asked her opinion or told her we bought a new car. She heard it from inlaws. They bought a Honda CRV a year ago and couldn’t stop talking about it. We had a Ford Focus then.
DH puts up with it or ignores it. I can’t do either. This woman also thinks she is my mother-in-law and is entitled to get pampered by her brother (via expensive gifts) but never actually reciprocates. Somehow everyone just “gifts” her stuff she wants!! This bit isn’t actually my problem, but you get the picture? She is very manipulative.
Would it be possible to have any meaningful relationship with people like this - without getting into arguments with DH for small things she does. She says/does a million small, rude, thoughtless things then pretends innocence. DH falls for it every time!
I’m at my wits end after years of putting up with passive aggressive shit and I’m seriously considering blocking her everywhere. Luckily she lives 6 hours away. So we don’t see her often.