Does anyone actually like their parents, as people?

[Slowdownyouredoingfine]

If your parent wasn’t your parent, would they be your friend? I find it really difficult to be around both my mum and dad (separated.) They annoy me. I can’t work out if this is universal amongst adult children or if some people genuinely like their parents.

My history with my parents is complicated so I won’t go into it, but I do worry one day my kids won’t like me too. Or is this just characteristic of a complicated childhood? Do you like your parents?!

YABU - I like who my parent/s are as people (whilst maybe finding them annoying sometimes)

YANBU - I do not like who my parents are as people and wouldn’t choose them as a friend.

I absolutely love both of mine! Fabulous people. Mi dad gets on my tits when he refuses to wear his hearing aid and then goes ‘eh’ every time you say anything but other than that they’re great people and also, shock horror, so are my in-laws!

I have multigenerational friends and would be friends with both of my parents. They are good and interesting people.

However, I would find them a lot less infuriating if they were just my friends and not my parents

My parents are great people, they are both very funny and kind, and generous. I like them as people, and I love them as my parents.

I actually have many friends who are in their generation. Parents of my friends who are now my friends too, and also people from the literary society that I'm active in.

Wish l still had mine.. but then l am 66.. l adored them .
My daughters adore me.. we do loads together.. same with Grandkids who are teenagers.. very close and loving family.
I'm well blessed.

My dad died over 20 years ago but I got on well with him. Mum died 2 years ago, still missing her terribly. She was the kindest person and loved helping her family. She would give you her last penny. I really liked her as a person, and think ( hope) I can be half the parent she was. Although we didn't have much growing up, we were loved and cared for and i have lovely memories. know I was blessed to have had such a great mum.

My parents are lovely.

I’ve not voted because my dad is amazing, a genuinely lovely human who I am lucky enough to call my Dad.

My mum…no.

I would be friends with my DM because she’s hilarious but DF is a bit boring.

I’m late 40s and had a neighbour/friend who would be in her mid nineties now, she was very similar to my DM which might be why I liked her so much.

50/50.

i liked my dad, couldn’t stand my mum. Thankfully they were divorced so I could see my dad. I went NC with my mum for the last six years of her life.

Not sure I’d have chosen my dad as a friend if he hadn’t been my dad. Even putting the generation differences aside we didn’t really have any common interests. But I could recognise he was an interesting, kind, intelligent person.

Estranged from my father from late teens. Couldn't wait to get away from him and had been planning it from the age of about 10.

I don't really have much contact with my mother now either. It pains me to say it, and it took me a long time to accept, but she's not very nice to me 😞.

I do worry about the future, and how it will be with my kids as adults. I'm working really hard to build a good relationship with them, so we enjoy each other, they feel loved and seen. I don't want them to have what I have. I want them to always know how great I think they are.

From the other side of the picture, I have three adult children and we all very much enjoy each others’ company. We spend time together most weeks - a lunch, coffee, a walk etc - and I regularly holiday with two of them. I’m very conscious not to expect this level of contact, but they actively seek it too. I also have a wonderful relationship my my DIL and count myself extraordinarily lucky.

I really wish I could have a better relationship with my parents I'm actually really gutted that I can't but my mum has serious issues with boundaries and can be nasty with a victim mentality and my dad is so gaslight and ground down by her over the years that he just backs her on everything now and expects us to all turn a blind eye even when it's harmful. So no, definitely not people I'd be friends with or choose to socialise with outside of being family because they're really disrespectful. Plus they both are becoming consistently more right wing the longer they're retired and the more daily fail scaremongering trash they engage with online.

Wow - I'm surprised and sad about how many have toxic relationships with their parents.

My Dad, not particularly no. He's racist, homophobic and drinks too much.

I think I'd get on better with my Mum if she wasn't my mum I think. We have a lot in common, but I'm so sick of being treated like a stupid/naughty child by her!

Yes, I like both of them.
Both my parents were pretty decent people. My dad has gone now but he was a very interesting and well read man..My mum is still around. She's lovely, cheery, bouncy and fun.

I love my mum, we go in trips together...she does drive me bonkers sometimes but that's after spending at least, if more than a week together. My dad passed away last year and I really miss him too, he was a perfect grandfather and the life and soul of any occasion. My mum has been amazing, getting on living a full life ....I really really admire her .

My dad just wants to be adored. He's that bloke that everyone knows but can be a bit marmite. Only his opinion is worth anything. To give him his due, he's passionate about causes and hates injustice. But don't try having an actual 2 way conversation.

My mum was lovely and all that, but I don't think we'd have been actual friends. Sounds awful, but she as a bit too square.

I think I'd be friends with my Dad because we can have interesting conversations. My Mum, probably not, because we have different interests and aren't on the same wavelength so we very frequently misunderstand each other.

Yes, I love them, like them very much, admire and respect them a lot. And sometimes find them annoying but generally I really like spending time with them plus my sibling and our partners. I feel super lucky!

I love popping in to my parents for a coffee and a chat. They are kind, funny, decent people and make interesting conversation. So yes I do like them as people but I think it helps that even though they are both nearly 80 they keep up with current affairs, go on holiday, go to gigs and see friends. They always have something to talk about so that helps a lot.

I did like my parents as people very much. They were clever, funny and interesting. Sadly they are both gone now and I miss them desperately. Although I am left with happy memories.
I also have 2 friends who are considerably older than me (in their early eighties) and I find them better company than my contemporaries. We had a hilarious time on my birthday recently!

No. But my dm means well so I try very hard with her.
My Df, I hate him.

My dad passed away 4 years ago. He was a lovely kind generous soul who I enjoyed spending time with.
My mum is one of my favourite people. She’s kind, generous, helpful and hilariously funny. Since my dad died I spend every Saturday with her. She’s fabulous company.
Im very lucky.

I will add - both my lovely parents came from difficult homes where one parent died young and the other had major issues. My dad in particular had a miserable childhood.
So they both broke that cycle!

Yes, my parents and I had quite a lot of conflict in my teens but now I'm in my mid 30s we are brilliant friends. They are open minded, interesting, kind and fun. My partner loves spending time with them as well, and they love him. I feel really lucky.