Dear Prudence,
We are fortunate to have a great guest space in our home and love hosting! At the same time, some of our “regulars” can be challenging, and I’d love your thoughts on how I can be compassionate and accommodating while also preserving my own sanity. More specifically, these particular visitors engage in (what feels like) continuous stream of consciousness monologues. Topics range from what shoes they are planning to wear to what they are doing next (i.e. I think I’ll take a shower) to repeated questions about outings or events that have been planned and explained in great detail (in addition to printed itineraries being left on bedside tables) to anything else under the sun that catches their attention at any given moment (i.e. Did I tell you about (person who you’ve never met and their dog/kid/job/house/etc)?).
Not only is the incessant chatter incredibly overstimulating (we also have pets and children demanding our attention), but it also tends to be one-sided, rather than an actual conversation. I try to be understanding—they live alone, are retired, and are likely eager for company and connection with us—but I find that I dread their visits (that tend to be 5+ days) and am relieved when they leave. I can imagine you might suggest a direct conversation, which might be the right strategy, but it would be helpful to have some guidance around how to initiate and what to say. All parties are very sensitive and are likely to be hurt or offended, so I want to approach this as thoughtfully as possible.
—An Exhausted Holiday Hostess