To not find my wealthy retired dad's " joke" funny?

[malificent7]

I work nhs shifts. I am really chuffed not to be working over Christmas but when I told my dad he replied " neither are we!" He hasn't worked for 10 years. I wouldn't mind so much if I wasn't struggling with the cost of living etc.

Absolutely, one owned by my dad and my uncles!!

I understand why you wouldn’t find it funny. You’re probably very tired a lot of the time. I work shifts too. I work at Christmas including Christmas Day and I’ve listened to lots of comments from retired people over the years about what a shame and I should be with my family etc. but it is what it is. I like my job fortunately and working Christmas is part of it. I do wonder if people that make those kinds of jokes were unhappy in their jobs and counted down to the day they could retire.

Enjoy your Christmas off, OP.

@caterpillar1485 doesn't want to hit the slopes.... her parents are saying THEY ARE 'SKI-ing' Spending (any) Kid's Inheritance...
So the 'don't think you'll get left any money, we're living it up, har har'.

Nope it's not at all funny.

Quite a few of these jokers on this thread too. Yes, we know you've worked all your lives. What do you think young people are going to have to do? They also won't have your relatively cheap housing, have to rent for years before buying, (and not just because they buy coffees and have a smart phone, because they are unaffordable for many young people without parents who can help them with a deposit), won't have lucrative private pensions. They'll also have to pay off their university fees, having not had free uni and grants.

The OP isn't saying her dad can't enjoy his retirement but there's a gap between that and rubbing her face in it.

Unless it’s inherited wealth, Your dad earned it- And it’s just a lame joke.
Presumably you will inherit (?) and then you won’t have to worry.

I guess you need to dig into what you’re really unhappy about - doesn’t sound like it’s just a silly joke.

Agreed.

That's a standing joke for retired people. Laugh it off and pay no attention.

Yes. A jokey wind up - god forbid!

If you need “support” for an off the cuff jokey tease then you need support in other areas.

I have full sympathy, for those that require it.

My Dh is a bit like this too : he is still working atm , but he does the whole ' worked all my life' thing which winds me up really.
I know he has but so have millions of other people too. It's not unique to him and he has a (mostly) sitting down job too.
I'd laugh it off ( through gritted teeth ) but I understand why it gets to you!

@stunningscreamer oh I think the UK housing market is about to correct massively. Within three to five years property will be more affordable again. Prices will rise, wages will go up and those who are in their 30s/40s and resenting their parents will get a taste of what their grandparents and parents went through in the 70s/80s/90s. It's all cyclical. I just don't remember my generation being so bitter.

Well the NHS is shit. My dsd is a nurse and I messaged her just the other day to vent my spleen about the runaround I was getting with the GP and she agreed with me wholeheartedly that it is in fact a complete shit show.

So basically your miserable in your life and instead of changing it your blaming everyone else.

Why? He’s worked for his money, and is enjoying it in his retirement. The idea that he shouldn’t make a little joke about it is silly.

I’m done with pretending to not be well-off to placate people with issues.

Which is fine, it’s what I’ve told my parent to do. Enjoy your retirement, spend the money, you worked for it, you don’t need to leave any for me.

Whether he's wealthy or not, he'd still be retired and not have to work

Sounds like a joke every pensioner makes. My dad's fave is "work hard so that your tax money can pay my pension" .

My husband has retired, I'm still working. He makes silly comments like this too. You're being over sensitive.

Dont know why were you work has anything to do with it. Ive been retired for 2 years and love it. I thin k I would joke as well its harmless.

We've become a weak nation.

Sounds like he’s just genuinely delighted to be not working anymore. After 40 odd years of working, he’s allowed to gloat. My parents don’t, but that first year or so, they couldn’t believe the freedom and were genuinely over the moon to not work. Cut him some slack.

Yup, my dad says the same thing. That said he worked in a stressful job for far too long so I'm chuffed to see him enjoying a relaxing retirement (complete with fishing, jigsaws and other cliches!).

Unless he's intentionally and consistently 'rubbing it in' to get a rise from you then I think you are being unreaonable.

Is it possible that he was saying he’s not happy because you are having to work over Christmas? Because they’d like to see you?

i think if it bothers you then it’s for a reason abd you need to work out what that real reason is. Something deep seated. Possibly it’s because he just has not heard you. Even as adults we still need our parents to really listen to us and not dismiss us, especially when we’re really struggling.

The amount of people on here having a go at the dad for a little joke.
I wish my parents were able to retire and live comfortably. And I wouldn’t be annoyed if they told me they were off at Xmas while I go to work. In fact I often tell them to spend all of their money/sell the house and forget about leaving money for me and my brother.

I think it’s the wealthy bit that probably annoys you.
I get it OP , dh and I are retired and comfortably off, we’ve told our dc to ask if they have high energy bills etc and we’ll help.
Some of our retired friends really disapprove and seem to think our dc get too much. I know how lucky we are and how hard life is for my dc generation.