How to Handle a Feud With a Gossiping Neighbor
Being the target of the neighborhood gossip is an uncomfortable position to be in. You want to quash the rumors, but you're not sure how to do it. Confronting your gossiping neighbor might be uncomfortable, but sometimes it is necessary to end your feud. Handling a gossiping neighbor with maturity and class -- rather than stooping to her level and gossiping about her -- is the best approach.
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Instructions
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Find out what the gossiping neighbor is saying. You do not want to accuse your neighbor of gossiping unless it's true, so get verification from a trustworthy neighbor about the alleged gossip. Find out what was said, when it was said and what the context was. You want to have your story straight before you confront the neighborhood gossip.
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Avoid gossiping back. Your instinct might be to say something not-so-nice about your nosy neighbor, whether it's true or not, but that only adds fuel to the fire. Instead, stay out of neighborhood gossip and simply walk away if you hear neighbors starting to gossip.
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Reach out to the gossiper. Don't ambush her by running over to her house when she's checking the mail. Instead, pick up the phone and ask if there's a time you can stop by to talk to the neighborhood gossip. Be friendly -- this will help you start the conversation off on the right foot.
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Sit down with the gossiping neighbor and politely ask her to stop the gossip. Explain to her the impact that her gossip is having on your family -- if you have children, stress how it is affecting them and their relationships with other people in the neighborhood. Do not be accusatory. Instead, talk about you and your family, not the gossiper's inappropriate behavior.
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Tips & Warnings
You do not have to address the gossip or explain anything to your neighbor. Focus on ending the feud, not on addressing rumors.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
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Comments
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really? talk about you and your family to the neighborhood gossip? you OBVIOUSLY have never dealt with one. Talking to people like this isn't going to change their behavior, they've most likely been doing it their entire life due to some character flaw. you SHOULD advise people to just avoid any personal conversations with the gossip.... less they set themselves up for more gossiping. the advice in this article is ridiculous.
