I was in blackout and parents haven’t even texted me

[Stopeatingcrispsanddips]

I live in one of the countries where there was a power cut, it was frightening at the time and still feels a bit unsettling. My parents haven’t even WhatsApped us to see how we are (they still live in the U.K.)

Is this normal?

Maybe take some time to stockpile some things that will make you feel more secure-
candles
gas camping stove
tinned food that can be quickly used
bbq coal
etc
Then you will not be so stressed

So she did message you eventually

tbh if she doesn’t watch much news she may have not known or thought was serious

once she knew she asked if it was sorted

Has OP said if her parents have got back to her? I haven't been watching the thread lately. It may be that they're elderly and don't pay much attention to the news. A lot of people have told me they don't watch the news because it's too depressing or biased. That's young people, not necessarily old.

Why have I just read this whole thread through!? 🤪
Anyway, what lies behind this hurt at them not replying? Have you not been getting on, or is this definitely out of the ordinary?

This did make me decide to watch the news more
Switched it on this morning, just council etc elections. I'll try again in a couple of days.

OP wasn't stuck in a lift was she, or had any of those things you mention happen to her - and if she was, how was her parents texting her going to help?

I also did mention, or did you miss that bit, that networks very likely were down. It is OP who was expecting her parents to text or phone her, with no thought that it might not have been possible. I've lived through earthquakes, I suspect I know a bit more about this sort of thing than you do! As a fully functioning adult I don't expect anyone to check up on me.

There was no online access so they possibly knew they couldn’t.
Have you contacted them to say you’re ok?

@NattyTurtle59 are you honestly telling me that if you heard that your child, or parent, was in an event like this, that you wouldn’t text or phone (even if it wasn’t possible to get through) to say “you ok? Saw the blackout on the news?” Honestly? I know I would. I’d expect my mom to as well. And I can assure you that I am a fully functioning adult, as is my mom and my kids. They didn’t know that she wasn’t in those scenarios I mentioned, they didn’t know that she was ok, or frightened.

Personally, I think it’s pretty cold not to check up on your nearest and dearest.

But hey, I’ve not lived though an earthquake. Does a hurricane, alone, les than 20 miles from where it made land count as perilous enough for you? I can confirm that my mom did indeed call me. And I called her.

it was possible for them to text her. But It wouldn’t have got through. All the texts the op did receive came though when the network was restored.

@BitOutOfPractice that’s the bit I don’t get. This was a massive thing, impacted whole countries. Yes it was only a ‘power cut’ but it impacted the whole infrastructure of the country. Luckily it didn’t last long, although for some people affected it must have seemed ages. There was also the unknown, what caused it and when would it be fixed. Why would you not contact a close relative to check on them as soon as you could. It’s not saying that you don’t trust that they are a fully functioning adult or competent enough to look after themselves or babying them. Even if you only contacted them to find out what it had been like for them.

As many posters have said a local power cut, especially in Uk has an identifiable reason and in most areas are not that common. Information will still be available as can still get access to internet and some local group on social media will have got out info on details of where, why and when to be fixed.

Surely anyone can see that in the limited time when internet was available and people found out it was the whole country and not just the local substation that must have been scary/unsettling for most people. I’ve seen quite a few images of groups of people huddled round someone’s portable radio listening for information (bet sales of these have rocketed in the last few days!)

I can see that people who have been snowed in for weeks or battered by hurricane/earthquake might see it as just a power cut, but I can’t imagine many people who woke up one morning to find out that all the power in UK was off wouldn’t just shrug their shoulders and think it’s just a power cut.

"As a fully functioning adult I don't expect anyone to check up on me."
@NattyTurtle59 - but it’s not “checking up”, it’s part of normal human relationships to feel concern for family or friends who might be caught in an unexpected, unusual, possibly frightening, maybe even dangerous, situation such as a national emergency, and reach out to them (or check up on them, if you insist) to make sure they are doing all right and don’t need help that you might be able to give, or simply moral support.

This is such a sad thread. So many probably know more about the lifestyle of a parenting guru on Insta, who is monetising their relationship with them, than they do about the daily lives of their closest family.

I don't live close enough to see my elderly parents or my housebound Fil, but daily chats with them are an important part of both of our lives. I'll miss them dreadfully when they don't happen anymore.

I'm sorry you felt traumatised by it. I think, it's probably one of those situations where, unless you're in it, it's difficult to emphasise with.
The news in the UK mostly reported it as probably not a cyber attack, probably a weather issue. No need to panic. The government's aren't speculating (basically, nothing to see here until it's investigated.)

I very much suspect that your parents simply weren't that worried, because everything appeared to be pretty calm.
Also, I suppose, at a certain age the burden of care flips around, and the responsibility to check in on each other's wellbeing starts to fall on the "younger" generation. Perhaps, that has started to become their mentality a little bit? Obviously, it's hard to say without knowing the full situation or your relationship with your parents.

But wouldn’t the masts have been down so no phone service?

Some people had no service at all for hours and hours, some had intermittent mobile data, enough to whatsapp but not use Internet or call and messages to ages to go through. That's how it was for me. A friend twenty minutes away had absolutely nothing at all for six hours.

I messaged my in laws in Spain on the assumption that even if they had no mobile signal at that point, they would get my message when it came back.

i hope you dont feel worse for posting on here @Stopeatingcrispsanddips

No, it’s ok, thank you 🤗 you really had to be here…one of those types of situations

I'm pretty sure most of us could empathise, OP.

No, you weren't in fear for your life, but you were hurt your parents didn't just touch base, seeing as you thought they'd definitely have heard about what was happening.

Has OP come back after being slagged off? As I said, I have a son and his partner living in Madrid and I spoke to them on WhatsApp to see if they were OK. If it were my parents, I'd be upset.

And they are saying you are being unreasonable? FFS.

I’m here 👋 @YourAmplePlumPoster

Have you asked your parents why didn't message you OP?

Yes I posted about it a while back, mum said she didn’t know as didn’t watch the news much (they do!) and dad didn’t even acknowledge it. Really odd, they’ve been messaging normally since about mundane things

Have you spoken to your parents since? Have they given any insite as to why they didn't think to check on you? Hopefully it's just a case they didn't realise how you were affected.

Read the post right above yours...