Depressed- MIL Lives with Me

[springfieldva]

Originally Posted by ExNooYawk2

What I don't understand about the OP's position in the beginning is why her MIL wouldn't want her own privacy? She presumably had a room of her own. If I were her, I'd be in my own happy space, seeing the family at mealtimes and for necessary interactions during the day or if invited to participate in Movie Night, Game Night, etc. Why put insinuate yourself into another family's daily operations?

This didn't have to end the way it did for the OP, with her feeling guilty about not being able to STAND having someone else in her home all the time. Grandma should have respected their privacy more. IMHO.

Her MIL was elderly and probably found being close to Op comforting. I'm sure she wasn't intentionally trying to aggravate Op but sometimes age makes a person a little less self aware and a bit more needy of reassurance than they once were. Clingy.

[GotHereQuickAsICould]

Originally Posted by springfieldva

Her MIL was elderly and probably found being close to Op comforting. I'm sure she wasn't intentionally trying to aggravate Op but sometimes age makes a person a little less self aware and a bit more needy of reassurance than they once were. Clingy.

Exactly.

When my mother was older and living with us, she followed me around, wanted to chat constantly.

Which was very different from her usual pattern. When I was growing up, other than to tell me to do some chore, she rarely gave me the time of day. Even when I was grown and home for a visit, she'd talk a bit then go chat with her friends, or talk to them on the phone.

Once she moved in with us, she had lost a lot of friends and so expected me to fill that gap.

I've noticed the same thing with my husband as he's grown older. Until he retired, he rarely wanted to talk about anything. However, the older he's gotten, the chattier he's become. Now he natters on about everything.