How do you get along with a difficult family member?

[Marilena]

even though you approach the person nicely, and they don’t want to be nice but only vent most of the time, how do you get along with them? do you ignore them, or just continue to be nice and let them vent? yes, you love the family member, but what if they are only gruff most of the time with you? what if you only speak to that person because of their gruffness only about 12 times a year or less and they are still gruff?

not just gruff with you, but gruff with another family member?
do you just not speak to them, or do you just let them vent?
what would you do?

its this persons nature to be gruff, and one can forgive them endlessly because you love that family member alot. but sometimes, the gruffness can hurt feelings alot. so continue the way it is, or just let it drop and not call them anymore?

 

[SueKrum]

are you in MY family? LOL!
let me tell you, I have a brother that does NOTHING but moan and groan abut his life and everyone elses life. I can’t have a normal conversation wtih the man. And he gets a THRILL out of arguing with people and getting people riled up. my husband doesn’t eat any pork and my brother LOVES to sit around and talk about ham and other pork things to try and offend my husband. it doesn’t work, but it’s down right annoying. We’re going to a big family party today for the superbowl and my brother is bringing meatballs and I just KNOW he’s going to rub it in my husband’s face that they are made of pork. so what do we do? IGNORE him. I pretend like I don’t know what he’s talking about. I say stuff like, “Well, I hope you enjoy that honey baked ham. Sounds like you’re gonna have a lovely dinner.” and give him a big fat fake smile. My husband (who is the one who thinks pork is totally a filthy meat) does the same thing.

I call him on his birthday, or whatever and listen to him say bad things about everyone in the family and then tell him how much I enjoyed so and so’s company the last time we were together. I make sure I let him know how happy I am, even though I make 1/10 of what he does and I just keep smiling at him and praying that one day, God will touch his heart and show him how to be happy.

so that’s what I do. he annoys the you know what out of me and I do not look forward to being around him, but since I see him only a couple of times a year, I can fake it for a couple of hours. I love my brother, but I do not like him.

Just filll him/her with Christian love and try and keep your encounters as possative as possible. don’t let their grumbling get you down. and don’t get into a gossip fest with them.

I hope this helps a little bit.