How to deal with difficult relatives
(from circleofmoms.com)
We all have them; those family members who push our buttons. They criticize, make inappropriate comments, borrow money without paying it back, talk bad about your children or your mate. As Christians, we may feel guilty for not wanting to be around them, or think we need to just "suck it up." But there are ways to cope and still stay tru to yourself. Here are some ideas.
1. Admit that they are difficult. It's OK to say, "Aunt Sherry gets on my LAST nerve." One of the hardest things about difficult people is that we either try to make them out to be evil, or we make excuses for them, or we try to avoid the whole thing. Some people are in our life to teach us how to deal with issues.
2. Know your boundaries, know your limits. Some day, YOU are going to be the 
difficult person to your 18-year-old daughter (or your 40-year-old son, or daughter-in-law, etc.). Would you rather have him/her write you off, or figure out how to deal with you in a way that will continue relationships while avoiding hurt feelngs? How you treat people now is the foundation for how your children and grandchildren treat you when they decide that you are difficult.
3. Plan in advance. For years, we had a difficult family member that I didn't know how to deal with. She and I were also getting into it. She broke boundaries constantly; but she also really wanted to be part of our family. In the end, I made a point to invite her to family occasions that were high energy and didn't require me to be alone with her (family reunions and holiday dinners).
4. Set boundaries for you and your children. When I had to visit my aunts house (and I always offered if she were sick, depressed or needed something), I set a time limit for the stay—30 minutes. In addition, I taught my children to respect her, but gave them permission to say, "Why don't you ask my mom?" when she tried to get in their business. Children will likely grow up with healthy boundaries and knowledge of themselves if you help them learn to deal with worrisome members.
5. Pray. All of us are difficult to someone, and we're all children of God and heirs of God grace. I find that if I pray for the well-being and happiness of a person getting on my nerves, somehow I am more patient with them. That doesn't mean you have to tolerate hurtful behavior, but you might find you're less sensitive to the insensitivity of other. Pray hard.