Sick of listening to friend whingeing

[Furgggggg12]

See my friend usually once a week. Every time lately she's been moaning and going on and on about how her partner works away... He works elsewhere 2 days a week. Am a lone parent. I don't live with DP, and even if I did he works in another country M-F.

It winds me up SO much when she goes on about loneliness and him being away "so much". It's 2 bloody days!

I just wish she'd moan to someone else.

Then call her on it. I would laugh and say do you realise who you are talking to ? Are you aware of my world.

I had a friend who used to tell me she was a single parent as dh was working blare till I pointed out if only been a single parent meant I had to just do the physical care it would be a doddle

I nearly did today but just couldn't, she gets easily upset and cries at the drop of a hat. I couldn't think of how to word it so she would take a fricking hint without turning it into a drama!

It's so grating and makes me really really bitter. Arggggh!

A friendship where you can’t express your feelings because you’re controlled by hers is not a good friendship.

Her life is her life and she's entitled to feel annoyed/upset within it. Her circs are different to yours, but it doesn't mean she isn't allowed to feel the way she does.

Otherwise we'd be in the situation where we shouldn't feel upset because our cat died because the man two doors down has had 3 cats die.

That's very true Atrocious.

I'm fully aware of that Originally, however you would think that she would have some tact.

Just tell her off. End of. Why put up with it?

Honesty is the best policy.

Wot @AtrociousCircumstance said ^

It's fair enough to think about how to frame it, but if you honestly can't say anything about it to her, then what is the 'friendship' worth? Really understanding someone else's point of view is a lovely side effect of having a friend. How would you feel about saying that you are probably not the right person to emphasise with her, since you have to deal with....

Or does she really not care who she talks to, so long as someone is listening to her? I would find it very difficult to listen to her, if that were the case

I think she does it in order to feel better about herself sometimes.

They both only work very part time and have very little money, despite grandparents providing childcare when they do work, therefore no nursery fees etc.

Sometimes I think she is jealous that I do okay for money, yet that's their choice to barely work, and so has to find something to moan about, which feels like "sticking the knife in", in order to make herself feel better.

I am not explaining this well!!

I think you're right, I need to become more assertive. That is a good point about putting it as "not the right person to empathise with", that is a good approach for me to take.

She is lovely generally which is why this annoys me so much. I had to walk off last week and pretend to do something because the sheer "woe is me" did my head in so much.