The Compendium of Annoying Parent Quirks

[Chronos]

My mom sometimes sets speed records for jumping to conclusions.

[Lardlad]

My Dad bugs people ever single chance he gets and always has to offer his opinion on things even though he is rarely asked. It's gotten to the point that I can barely talk to him about anything other than sports, and because of that I find myself hating all sports now.

My least favorite thing he does is when we decide to do a hockey pool for example and the second his team takes any sort of lead, he has to ask everyone else if they'd like to "surrender" blah blah it makes me so mad because he's doing it to get a reaction and no matter how hard I try, I always end up getting pissed, thus giving him the reaction he was looking for.

Anyways, the biggest thing he does that ticks me off is the "just a suggestion" crap, when I haven't even asked. It's really, really annoying and if I had ANY other place to live (and could afford it) I'd be gone this weekend!

["Hollywood" Cactus Matt]

I re-read this thread and I need to say something.


I realize this is a thread to post the things your parents do that frustrate you, but bear this in mind: a lot of you will miss the "annoying" things when they're gone.

I read my earlier post in particular, and then realized that my dad is overweight, has high blood pressure and diabetes, and a history of heart attack, stroke, and cancer in his family. He also just turned 57 years old, still works a 40-hour week (sometimes more) doing manual labor in a factory, and has outlived his own father by more than 10 years. I worry every single day that it's his last one on Earth, and it would tear me up inside to know that the last thing I said about him while he was alive was that he's annoying.

I love my dad. I don't want to see him go, but I also know that nobody lives forever. When the time comes, I know that he'll go with the knowledge that nobody's perfect, but his children loved his imperfections just as much as anything else.


That's really all I have to say. Carry on.

[Chronos]

Sept 9, 2010 13:14:21 GMT -5 "Hollywood" Cactus Matt said:

I re-read this thread and I need to say something.


I realize this is a thread to post the things your parents do that frustrate you, but bear this in mind: a lot of you will miss the "annoying" things when they're gone.

I read my earlier post in particular, and then realized that my dad is overweight, has high blood pressure and diabetes, and a history of heart attack, stroke, and cancer in his family. He also just turned 57 years old, still works a 40-hour week (sometimes more) doing manual labor in a factory, and has outlived his own father by more than 10 years. I worry every single day that it's his last one on Earth, and it would tear me up inside to know that the last thing I said about him while he was alive was that he's annoying.

I love my dad. I don't want to see him go, but I also know that nobody lives forever. When the time comes, I know that he'll go with the knowledge that nobody's perfect, but his children loved his imperfections just as much as anything else.


That's really all I have to say. Carry on.

Of course, but sometimes you just need to vent about your uncool parents, no matter how old you are. I love my parents (even my dad, whom I haven't spoken to since 2004), but everyone's get on their nerves in one way or another.

I live with my mom, and a major reason is so I can take care of her, since she's suffered a veritable Gray's Anatomy of various illnesses and injuries since she got injured on the job back in 1996. There are times where she gets on my last nerve and more, but I shudder to think of the emptiness that'll be there when she's gone. I wouldn't change anything about her.

[Lardlad]

^^
I'm sure you wouldn't want your Dad to die and I don't think posting what you did should mak you feel bad if something were to happen to him. That said, if my Dad was staring at my wife's butt or looking down her shirt, I'd find it really annoying as well....

["Hollywood" Cactus Matt]

LOL, good call. I didn't mean to be a buzzkill.


Um, he also has a tendency to re-tell the same jokes over and over, even after they've stopped being funny. Especially if it's really funny the first time.

[itputsthelotion]

My mother died in 2000 and my father got arrested in another state last month. I guess I miss their company but not the annoying quirks.

[Alexander The So-so]

-Mixed messages on sex and dating

"Ooooh, look at that cute girl over there? Why don't you ask her out? Why don't you ever ask anyone out? You're not gay, are you?" vs. "What are these filthy magazines doing in you're room!!?? I'm throwing them out!!"

"You worry too much about finding a girlfriend! Sometimes it's okay to be single." vs. "Oooh, you're friends with that girl? Maybe that'll lead to something!!"

"You can talk to me about anything with regards to sex or romance." vs. "I don't want to hear about you making out with her! Too much information!!!!"

"I want you to be happy in a relationship, and be with someone who makes you feel good about yourself." vs. "A man is expected to always put his wife first, and buy her gifts to show that he loves her. And even if she's beating you, you are never allowed to lay a hand on her, even in self-defense!"

[A Dubya (El Hombre Muerto)]

Sept 9, 2010 12:03:01 GMT -5 Lardlad said:

My Dad bugs people ever single chance he gets and always has to offer his opinion on things even though he is rarely asked. It's gotten to the point that I can barely talk to him about anything other than sports, and because of that I find myself hating all sports now.

My least favorite thing he does is when we decide to do a hockey pool for example and the second his team takes any sort of lead, he has to ask everyone else if they'd like to "surrender" blah blah it makes me so mad because he's doing it to get a reaction and no matter how hard I try, I always end up getting pissed, thus giving him the reaction he was looking for.

Anyways, the biggest thing he does that ticks me off is the "just a suggestion" crap, when I haven't even asked. It's really, really annoying and if I had ANY other place to live (and could afford it) I'd be gone this weekend!

I feel you on this. And as Cactus Matt said, yes I love my folks, but that doesn't mean they can't annoy or bother you sometimes. Something that really is just....well...annoying is how out of touch with modern society my parents are.

What I mean is that the age gap is so large between us, they have very little to no concept of the internet, newer technology such as cameras or DVDs (which really aren't all that new) and things of that nature. I can't even explain things to them, because there is no reference point for them after the cassette tape era.

When other people around their age bring up things like "Craig's List" for example, listening to their responses is just embarrassing. As recently as last week, a friend of my dad was talking with him and his wife about music on the radio, and I heard said friend drop Lady Gaga's name. My dad's response was something to the effect of, "Well why don't they play that WJZZ station here anymore? Everyone listened to that. Unless the rap is taking over now. Oh, and I don't listen to that gaga music, I call it 'tomato can' music."

I just don't get how you can totally bash something you clearly have no idea of, and at the same time complain about a station that has been off the air for 3 years, while making extremely dated and generalized statements like that. Blows my mind when they think they know everything, and show that they don't have a clue about what they're talking about.

Again, you can't change your parents, and despite maybe coming off as overly harsh and cold, I have a very good relationship with my folks. It's just that sometimes you are completely different people despite coming from them biologically.

Sept 9, 2010 13:40:57 GMT -5 Alexander The So-so said:

-Mixed messages on sex and dating

"Ooooh, look at that cute girl over there? Why don't you ask her out? Why don't you ever ask anyone out? You're not gay, are you?" vs. "What are these filthy magazines doing in you're room!!?? I'm throwing them out!!"

"You worry too much about finding a girlfriend! Sometimes it's okay to be single." vs. "Oooh, you're friends with that girl? Maybe that'll lead to something!!"

"You can talk to me about anything with regards to sex or romance." vs. "I don't want to hear about you making out with her! Too much information!!!!"

"I want you to be happy in a relationship, and be with someone who makes you feel good about yourself." vs. "A man is expected to always put his wife first, and buy her gifts to show that he loves her. And even if she's beating you, you are never allowed to lay a hand on her, even in self-defense!"

I get this too, mostly from my mom. If she calls me, and she hears a voice in the background or something, it's like "why are you with this woman, and what are you doing, are you gonna call me back later?" If I am not dating someone seriously at the time, the whole thing is "you should pray that you find a nice girl and get married..." like my only reason for living is to give her some grandchildren.

I find the same thing to happen with my work schedule. If I have some time off work, or I'm in between jobs: "You need to get a job right now! What are you doing? It's a Saturday, you need to be doing something why are you going out to watch football with your friends?"

Then when I am working my ass off at a job: "You are always at work. Why don't you give me a call when you get home? Are you depressed? Why don't you ever have time to come visit us? We never talk anymore..." My mom tends to exaggerate everything too.