One-sided conversations annoying and upsetting

[LettyAshton]

Dsis lives a very long way away and I see her maybe once a year. We do, however, speak on the phone quite frequently. She is my only close relative.

Dsis looks after her 3-year-old granddaughter Monday to Friday and she is her sole topic of conversation. I hear what M eats, what M says, where M plays, what other people have said to M, what time M has a nap, when M woke up etc etc.

Now, that would be fine - she is a proud grandmother. But if I say anything about my dcs or me, you can hear the tumbleweed blowing down the telephone line. There's just silence, or, as was the case in the last phone call, I said I was going for an interview, and there's a beat, and then she tells me about her dil is going for a promotion at work and my interview is never referred to again.

I find it rather sad as I/the dcs have no other relations. But increasingly I can't stand the thought of 45 minutes hearing about the life and times of M and I feel very mean about this.

[LettyAshton]

I suppose if she were a random granny then I could just terminate the conversation - but she is not an old granny - she's a young granny! Goodness, how can people not realise they're being so... what's the word... alienating ?

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

Why not out loud? I know it's probably easier to say nothing than to cause offence but, if these conversations are wasting 45 minutes of your life at a time, surely it's better to say something? The alternative is to keep cutting the conversation short five minutes in and hoping she gets the message.... and grannies with thick skins rarely do.

[LettyAshton]

That might be the conversation in my head - but never out loud!

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

"Would you like to hear anything about my life or shall we just talk about M some more? No? OK I'll be going then"

Don't feel mean for pointing out she has become a bore. Tell the truth and shame the devil