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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Google "grey rock".  One thing you wan to avoid is giving her personal ammo.

They other phrase I would put in your arsenal is "what do you mean by that?" or "why would you say that?".

Beyond that, distance and cool politeness are the best way through.  Stay firm in boundaries if you need to "this is what works for our family" and don't get sucked into any sort of back and forth.[/quote]
+1
Even better than "why would you say that?" is "why do you say that?"  Or, "I'm not following.  What do you mean by that?"  
Also, "Sorry, I didn't catch that.  What did you say?"  I find that making people repeat their obnoxious comments, like I have a slight hearing impairment, is pretty effective.  That mean comment or zinger sounds kind of stupid if you have to say it again.  And then when they do, I just say, "Huh," and move on.  You're not going to win a contest of snarky comments with a person who is regularly mean.  The best strategy is to play a little bit dumb, don't react, and don't give them ammo.  Avoid them as much as possible.  Be polite.  If they try to get competitive or tell you that you're doing "it" wrong (whatever "it" is), just smile and say, "I'm glad that works so well for your family."  Do not get sucked into a debate.  [/quote]

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