Anonymous wrote:I'm an adult kid and am fine talking to my dad once a month. He is VERY dull and tells me the most mundane things about his life (which store he went food shopping at, which load of laundry he's done) and when I talk about mine he interrupts to give unsolicited advice I don't need.

You reach out to your parents out of love, care or obligation, not for some entertainment. That being said, I do get it. My mom is homebound and not into books, tv, radio, media etc so you can imagine our conversation. Only point is to keep the connection, check on her and try to cheer her up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I also saw that Hackman's daughter said that she hadn't talked to him in a few months and all I could think was, "you have a 95-year-old dad and you are not talking to him at least weekly?!" but I guess she outsourced the care to the younger wife. My FIL is 96 and I am constantly asking my DH, "did you call your dad this week?"

His wife was his affair partner. He left his wife of 30 years for her. Started “dating Betsy in 1984. Divorced his wife in 1986. No wonder his kids don’t care

Well then I guess they're happy now that he and his affair partner are dead, especially since they are getting the millions.

We all now live in the same town. We see each other every week and talk on the phone/text several times a week

Anonymous wrote:I'm an adult kid and am fine talking to my dad once a month. He is VERY dull and tells me the most mundane things about his life (which store he went food shopping at, which load of laundry he's done) and when I talk about mine he interrupts to give unsolicited advice I don't need.

I feel bad for your dad. His life undoubtedly is mundane. What do you expect him to discuss. Not everything we do for love is fun. Do you think raising a child is all fun?

Do better.

I’m 35 and call my mom several times a day- when I have a few minutes here and there. My dad and I talk on the phone less often, but he (sometimes with my mom) comes over twice a week to help with my kids school pickup and taking them to after school activities.

When I was in college I probably spoke to mom nearly every day, but maybe not always daily.

Anonymous wrote:Depends on the kids. They are very different from each other.

This^.

My age 40 + kids send me animal memes daily. I guess if I don’t comment for a few of those days they might think I've died and started to mummify.

One texts pretty often, so there's that, too.

I'm 48 and text with my mom daily, talk a couple times a week.

Every single day via group text
Kid 1 who’s launched visits twice a week
Kid 2 is away at college - comes home for breaks

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm an adult kid and am fine talking to my dad once a month. He is VERY dull and tells me the most mundane things about his life (which store he went food shopping at, which load of laundry he's done) and when I talk about mine he interrupts to give unsolicited advice I don't need.

Are you from New Jersey?

Close. NY.

Interesting! I didn't realize New Yorkers also went "food shopping." I'm from the midwest and "food shopping" is one of those turns of phrase that I just can't get over. Like how you all are fascinated when we say "pop."

Another NYer. I had no idea food shopping was a regional thing. Learn something every day.

In the midwest at least, we go grocery shopping.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm an adult kid and am fine talking to my dad once a month. He is VERY dull and tells me the most mundane things about his life (which store he went food shopping at, which load of laundry he's done) and when I talk about mine he interrupts to give unsolicited advice I don't need.

Are you from New Jersey?

Close. NY.

Interesting! I didn't realize New Yorkers also went "food shopping." I'm from the midwest and "food shopping" is one of those turns of phrase that I just can't get over. Like how you all are fascinated when we say "pop."

Another NYer. I had no idea food shopping was a regional thing. Learn something every day.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm an adult kid and am fine talking to my dad once a month. He is VERY dull and tells me the most mundane things about his life (which store he went food shopping at, which load of laundry he's done) and when I talk about mine he interrupts to give unsolicited advice I don't need.

Are you from New Jersey?

Close. NY.

Interesting! I didn't realize New Yorkers also went "food shopping." I'm from the midwest and "food shopping" is one of those turns of phrase that I just can't get over. Like how you all are fascinated when we say "pop."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm an adult kid and am fine talking to my dad once a month. He is VERY dull and tells me the most mundane things about his life (which store he went food shopping at, which load of laundry he's done) and when I talk about mine he interrupts to give unsolicited advice I don't need.

Are you from New Jersey?

NJ resident here. What does that have to do with anything?

Just curious! The only people I know who call it "food shopping" are from NJ.

We have a text group with my in laws that we all use to text every day. We call them at least once a week as a family and my husband usually talks to them at least one other time throughout the week as well.

My parents and I have a more strained relationship and I'd say I call them every 2-3 weeks, sporadically. They never call me and, despite being a decade younger than my in laws, they aren't big texters.