How do I deal with a rude neighbor?

[1catholic]

Buy her flowers Then invite her over yourself… and subtly start dropping hints (ex: during a coffee outing, “I’ve got to tell you, I’ve got this one uncle and whenever he’s at family outings he can’t control his language. I really think words should be used to uplift man not dirty man…” etc. repeat and continue. Maybe throw in some chocolates along the way or a homemade treat

Good Luck
God Bless

 

[malachi3]

I’m with the lonely camp too.

Though I have a neighbor who, if I happily do anything of the little chores she gives me to do for her, it gets worse, and I really don’t want to be close to her. So I avoid her.
I think tough love is baloney. It hurts people, they don’t understand.

(Al, are you a psychologist? When I gave someone advice like yours a while ago I got hammered by moderators.)

 

[Sparki777]

It might be loneliness, but her irrational behavior (swearing and expecting others to answer her phone and her dropping in at mealtime) could also indicate the onset of dementia. If she’s forgotten how to prepare food for herself, for example, she might just follow the smell of food when she’s hungry and then not have the self-awareness to refrain from inviting herself in to share the meal.

Consult your phone book to see if there is an elder care hotline or some other program for single older citizens. Call and express concern that a neighbor in your building might need some additional help, but you don’t know how to get in touch with the neighbor’s children. Perhaps they can send somebody out to interview the lady and see what services can help her out (like Meals on Wheels or free transportation to a senior center during the day).

 

[bmoyles]

PRAY FOR HER!. Or if possible pray with her. If she’s elderly she may be slipping into dementia. She may also have had difficulties in her life and still carries that within her and it makes her bitter.

 

[Sailor_Kenshin]

We have a very rude neighbor living in our condo development. She is an elderly lady with the mouth of a longshoresman. If I see her in the lobby she will ask me or other people to do things for her like throw out her garbaage, open the door, etc. Other times she invites herself in UNINVITED for coffee, dinner, etc. to peoples homes with no apology. One time my husband and I were at her home to look some furniture she was getting rid off and she told my husband to answer her phone! And of course, we’ve been asked to take her to church on Sunday but since we go to a different one, she won’t go with us. I’m getting afraid to say anything to her when I see her in the lobby- like when she asks me what we’re having for dinner. I’m afraid she’ll come right over! She has several grown kids but I never see them around here. How should we handle this rude person?

She sounds like a riot. Though it must be annoying to you. But I just heard Fr. Mitch say that these inconvenient people present opportunities to love Jesus.

 

[KEVIN_WILCOX]

What if God was one of us?

Elderly… speaks the language of a longshoreman… ‘asks me to do things I don’t particularly want to do… other times…invites (herself) in UNINVITED with no apology… asks us to take (her) to Church on Sunday’ (but we go someplace else)… ‘I’m afraid she’ll come right over!..
She has several grown kids but I never see them around…’

(‘Let us open up our natures, throw wide the doors of our hearts and let in the sunshine of good will & kindness,’ O. S. Marden.)