I finally had to tell my mom to stop asking about my salary every time we talk. It took a really tense Tuesday dinner.

We were just having spaghetti and she goes, 'So, with that new title, you must be making at least 70k now, right?' in front of my brother. I had to say, 'Mom, I love you, but my finances are private. Can we please talk about something else?' The whole table went quiet for a full minute. It's been a week and she's still giving me the cold shoulder. How do you get past the awkwardness after setting a money boundary like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

wright.dakota22d ago

Honestly, just lean into the quiet. Next time you see her, ask her about the most boring thing you can think of, like the weather pattern on her drive over or the specific brand of her laundry detergent. When she realizes the only conversation she's getting is about fabric softener, she'll crack and move on. My mom pulled the same thing when I wouldn't tell her my rent, and I just started giving her super detailed updates on my office plant. She got over it fast.

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hannah24022d ago

That "she'll crack and move on" part from @wright.dakota is a big gamble. In my experience, leaning into boring topics just makes the quiet more awkward and can actually make a nosy person double down. They might just think you're weird and start asking even more personal stuff to figure you out.

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