How to deal with over-reacting parent...

[Diana Holbrook]

Smile and listen and let him talk and give him a hug when you say goodbye. So much easier than changing who he is. Maybe he wouldn't over react if you were just a little more receptive when he tried to give you what he thinks is important advice. (maybe?)

[picklejuice]

^^^Exactly!

Get over yourself and give the man (who took care of you enough that you are now alive and well) a hug.

It floors me the way people are these days!
Ungrateful. Entitled. Selfish. Withholding. Smug.

[CGab]

Originally Posted by Shira_k

My experience with the older and annoying generation (i love my father but he can be needy and overbearing):
*listen more than you talk. He needs to say things to you. As long as he isn't being abusive, let him talk a bit, interspersed with a few "hmmm" and "wow! Really? “

*find some common ground, some topic abd/or activities that you can both relate to. Like maybe a book you read and recommend to him and then you can discuss, or something interesting you saw on the news.

Great advice! I love my mother dearly, but she drives me crazy after being in the same room with her over an hour. She loves to get in debates over politics and gets all heated up. I've learn to just listen and smile a lot. Shake my head in agreement and say things like sure, okay, ugh huh. It's better that starting an argument and it lets her think she knows all. Sometimes older folks just need to talk. Let them have their say!

[somebody111111]

Originally Posted by picklejuice

^^^Exactly!

Get over yourself and give the man (who took care of you enough that you are now alive and well) a hug.

It floors me the way people are these days!
Ungrateful. Entitled. Selfish. Withholding. Smug.

And it floors me that people would judge other people so harshly just because they don't feel comfortable hugging someone that makes them feel uncomfortable all the time. Yeah, I'm super selfish.