aibu, anyones pils behaving oddly atm?

[stovetopespresso]

in-laws and aged aunt briefly visit, mil starts prowling round kitchen picking up and saying random things eg "look at your conservatory" "whats happening in that photo? " letters on dresser examined, labels read out loud. coffee served and although prowling ceases, lots of fiddling with spoons starts, she's a bit shaky and starts awkward convo about aged aunts finances and choice of retirement home, sort of as of she wasn't there. then as everyone gets in the car she makes a last minute dash to loo and spends ages while we all wait, I suspect more prowling! aibu= im being totally picky yanabu= theres something wrong here, lockdown anxiety?

That is a bit odd. My FIL has a very bad habit of idly reading cards / letters on mantelpieces etc if left to his own devices but it’s just because he’s unconventional and doesn’t always remember that it’s rude. But if this is new / unusual behaviour from your MIL it does suggest something is up. She may be anxious about aunt and struggling to vocalise it. It sounds like something is hanging over her and distracting her badly.

I don’t think all pils will start acting in the same way across the country!

I know all pils are not the same but broadly covid-wise many of them might be hit harder. maybe I can try and talk to her but she's quite spikey re her emotional needs

Its lockdown lunacy we are all getting it lack of social interaction leads to strange behaviour i self isolated for two weeks early on when I was released I didnt know when to stop talking to grown ups I had been shut up for two weeks with the kids!

I just think it’s quite a specific set of things she’s done and I don’t think you can attribute it to any national trends... how old is she? When did you last see her?

Sounds like she was working up to ask something and was nervous. Lots of displacement activity in the prowling etc. Then the awkward conversation about the aunt. You didn’t pick up on whatever it was she wanted to ask. She’s a bit upset and spends time in the loo composing herself. Maybe?

In hindsight my gran behaved similarly, the fiddling behaviour and saying random things about the house or my appearance that she would never have said before. In her case it was the beginning of dementia. Covid has put us all in a very weird environment so it might be linked to anxiety. I hope she is ok

I know what you mean OP, I am also worried about my parents. They are elderly and isolated over lockdown and since I've seen them (twice since things started lifting) I am really shocked at the change in them, especially my dad. He's more shakey, has lost a lost of weight (he was very slim to start with), looks very unkempt whereas he used to dress well etc. I think many in the older generation have found this very hard indeed, but there is no "collect voice" from them as they have seen it as something they have to get on with.