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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My MIL just can't stop talking. When she is around there she has to talk nonstop and[b] she asks questions repeatedly[/b]. Even very mundane topics tend to drag out forever...but of course, I guess they have to because she has to fill all waking hours with chatter about something.

Does anyone else have a MIL like this? How do you handle it? I am not used to being around that and it is so draining and exhausting. [/quote]

Do you mean she's constantly asking questions or that she often asks the same questions repeatedly?  Have you known her for a long time and she's always been this way or might this be new or significantly more noticeable lately?  Repeating oneself can be a sign of early dementia.  I noticed this about my MIL when I first met her.  Family members who lived near her and saw her frequently did not start to suspect dementia/Alzheimer's until a couple of years later.  [/quote]

I second the reply above.

OP, please think about this compassionately and don't focus just on "She won't be quiet." If she is repeating herself, she might indeed be starting early dementia or just plain forgetfulness.

This could also be fundamental to her personality. Some people who are insecure tend to chatter away so that there is never a quiet moment when someone else could ask them a question that they fear they couldn't answer. The idea is basically, "If I talk, this other person won't know how bad I am at....." whatever is going on.

If your MIL is just chatty, please realize how much better that is than if she were mean, or undermined you, or carped at your choices, your housekeeping, etc. Chattiness is not a character flaw. It more likely shows that she is possibly insecure, or she simply was taught that conversation means asking the other person questions, and that is how she communicates.

To get things to quiet down, instead of just visiting with her, do specific things with her -- go places, attend events, so that she has something on which to focus and something to talk [i]about.[/i]

This is not a problem on a par with MILs who are nasty to DILs, truly. Look for her good qualities and praise her for them--she might need it more than you realize. And take her to activities, or give her things to do with or for your family. And do keep an eye out for her mental health, if she's repeating things. Tell your husband if you're concerned.[/quote]

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