"The answer depends on your goal. If it's to punish your mother for her misbehavior, a time-out might be effective (but will likely not change the behavior once you release her from it-although I suppose it's possible that if you punish her repeatedly, she might eventually get the message she thus far hasn't). If your goal is to put some distance between your family and Mom, a time-out might help with that. (And repeated time-outs would help even more.)"
"Instead, try interrupting her as soon as she starts ("You know what, sweetie? When your mom was only 6, she-") with a firm, "Nope, we're not going to tell that story," and a swift change of subject. If a change of subject to something neutral doesn't do the trick, try countering with a story about one of her failures as a parent (turnabout is fair play)."
Approach depends on the goal: punishment, creating distance, or stopping the stories while keeping the grandparent involved. Time-outs can punish and create distance but usually do not change behavior once the punishment ends; repeated punishments might eventually convey the message. To stop the stories while preserving the relationship, interrupt as soon as the stories start with a firm refusal and immediately change the subject. If a neutral topic does not work, counter with a story about one of the grandparent's parenting failures to turn the tables. If stories occur only when the parent is absent and revelations continue, stronger boundary-setting or limited contact may be necessary.
Read at Slate Magazine
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