Help! It's my mother-in-law!

Most people talk ill of others because there unhappy and insecure with themselves.

When your MIL starts up again...tell her you DONT wanna here it. Sometimes you have to be rude, and blunt with people who have such attitudes cause otherwise they wont listen. If your hubbys a mommys boy he might be a lil upset, but chances are that since he was raised by this woman he's seen with his own eyes how she talks and he's probably on your side of this ordeal.

I found this website for you.
http://www.ihatemyinlaws.com/index.php

You can share your story there also, and read what other people have to go through with there in laws. quite funny, some of them are. but i do feel your pain!

Is she religious? If she is, quote something biblical and tell her you are trying not to gossip because God says not to, and you like her to help you with that.

"Thou shall not bear false witness against your neighbor" (Exodus 20)

"Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to" (1 Timothy 5:12-13)

"A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue. A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret" (Proverbs 11:12-13)

"A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends" (Proverbs 16:28)

"A fool's mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts" (Proverbs 18:7-8)

"They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them" (Romans 1:29b-32)

"A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much" (Proverbs 20:19)

"Those who guard their mouths and tongues keep themselves from calamity" (Proverbs 21:23).

In a nice way you could tell your mother inlaw that you feel uncomforiable when she talks negative about others. Then quickly change the subject to something pleasant,she may be a little taken back but then she will quickly response to what your talking about. I did this with my mother inlaw. About a week later she thanked me saying she was not aware how negative she had been talking of others. She has been very carefull now as to waht she says.