Just don't tell her things

Casadena

My mother is a hopeless gossip and has been for as long as I can remember. One of my earliest memories is from when I was 5 of being humiliated when she told our mailman how I’d thrown up on my dentist. Nothing told to her by anyone will remain confidential; she even will share personal information she’s learned about others with clerks who wait on her at the grocery store!

Her online activities are even worse. I keep what I tell her about my life pretty generic (much to her frustration) since I don’t want it shared with the world. More and more family members are doing likewise for the same reason, as she seems to be getting worse with age. Is there anything I can do to break her of this infuriating habit?

CharmedPam

Just do exactly as the title of this post tells you what to do.

ei34

CharmedPam said:

Just do exactly as the title of this post tells you what to do.

Ditto.  Exactly what you're doing plus casadena's title advice.

This isn't so much something you have to "fix" - it's your mom's problem and by simply keeping what you tell her to super generic, you're keeping it from being your private business from being shared with all.  (And I think LW knows this and the letter is being written from a place of frustration, which is totally fair. Vent away LW)

edit misspell 

banana468

You want to break a senior of a bad habit? 

FFS just don't tell her things.  If she asks why say, "Because I know if I tell you anything then the butcher will know about my hemorrhoids." 

short+sassy

Unfortunately, this is a lifelong habit.  It would have been hard enough to break it...and that's only if she wanted to...when she was younger.  But it would be almost impossible now.  The LW unfortunately needs to keep managing things the way they always have.