My Mother-in-Law Is Torturing the Entire Family With Her Beloved "Hobby." I'm the Only One Willing to Do Something About It.

"I've asked my husband to speak to his mother about not bringing so many meals over (I know he hates her food as much as the rest of us; he's said as much for years). His excuse for not doing so is that he doesn't want to hurt her feelings, so it looks like it's going to fall to me to be the bad guy. Any advice for handling this diplomatically?"

"If she protests, insisting that she knows you and your husband have no time, that it makes her happy to be able to do this for you, that it's no trouble at all, try being firmer still ("Still, I'm asking you not to bring meals over anymore"), but please do not tell her outright that you hate her food or that your kids do or pronounce her the world's worst cook. Don't be mean."

A retired mother-in-law moved nearby and repeatedly brings homemade casseroles the family finds inedible, upsetting even a seven-year-old. The husband refuses to confront his mother to avoid hurting her feelings, so the responsibility falls to the narrator to set limits. The recommended script asks the mother-in-law to accept appreciation while allowing the household to resume cooking its own meals, and to repeat the request firmly if necessary. The advice cautions against insulting her cooking. If unwanted meals continue, discard them or donate them as appropriate.

Read at Slate Magazine