My parents have become insufferable.

[PleasePleasePleaseDontProve]

I am really struggling with my parents. Both are mid-sixties, retired. It seems since retirement they have become quite bigoted, insufferable and insular in their viewpoints. Every time I meet up with them conversations revolve around:

• Illegal immigration / people on benefits / Reform and Nigel Farage. Essentially focussing around the latest GB news story (which they watch religiously).
• Their latest or ongoing health ailments and how poor, in their view, the NHS is.
• Unnecessary and rude descriptions to describe other people (could be random strangers) or people they know. For example, ‘our fat neighbour has put on tons of weight.’

I used to have a fantastic relationship with my parents, particularly my father, and I’m sure he wasn’t always like this. I’m starting to dislike meeting up with them as their attitudes seem to have changed towards life and people in general, and they constantly want to discuss the latest GB News story.

Has anybody else found this has happened to their parents?

Tbf im 36 and I watch GB news lol. Last night was live from Calais! What a joke our country is, the French police were literally helping the migrants into the boats!

Do you say the same on threads where a DC is struggling starting school and posters suggest ‘waiting until they’re a year older as they’re too young for school’ etc - or are you only offended when threads discuss your age group?

I think there’s probably a new thread every day about teens being a pain and loads of posters will say it’s just a phase because of their age etc.

Sometimes age is relevant and it doesn’t mean people are ageist.

They might think you have too? Become insufferable. Judgemental. Is that possible ?

You may have different opinions but that should not override and mean you lose the ability to just talk about all manner of stuff. Day to day things.

They are your parents. You are their daughter. Try to get along.

I think if you want to keep the peace with them, just say "no politics, please" and agree to disagree. That's what I (mostly) managed to do with my dad and Brexit.

You've just described my parents. I cannot stand them. They were already abusive and narcissistic. They totally ruined my childhood/teenage years - I didn't have one. They've become insufferable! Absolutely vile to be around. Alas, let not the boomers and their minions hear us on Mumsnet - They get upset when people call out their disgusting behaviour. It's almost as if they think they're free from consequences.

Freedom of speech? Definitely. Freedom from consequence? I think not.

It's disappointing and frustrating. I look forward to the day I am free of their toxicity. That'll be the day they need to claim didability benefits and pensions, they'll need carers, and state funding to look after their aged bodies...but it won't be available to them because they kicked off so much in the present day.

OMFG it's not ageism, it's a real thing that's happening.

Worrying about young men getting sucked into the manosphere - not ageism
Worrying about teenage girls getting groomed - not ageism
Worrying about older people who are at home all day getting brainwashed by biased "news" - not ageism

They are phenomena that are predominantly happening to people OF THAT AGE. Jesus wept.

My in-laws have had this. They always lent to the right of politics (and we aren’t particularly to the left anyway) but then it started to become quite extreme and all encompassing. They stopped paying their TV licence as they didn’t agree with the BBC anymore and then they started getting all their news from random online sites. My father in law understands his views more if that makes sense but my mother in law was watching all sorts and it even shocked him. It’s got a bit better but I read an article about indoctrinating elderly people and it fitted. It was impossible to have any conversation without it coming back to their political views (and usually how we were milking the state in some way or other even though we’ve always worked and didn’t even qualify for child benefit!).

My experience is that it's down to a combination of narrowing experience post retirement and exposure to increasingly right wing media.

Happened to my father but he then went into hospital for a stay and I cancelled his Telegraph subscription (with his permission). He didn't bother to restart it when he came out and his 'news' consumption became limited to brief BBC headlines. He soon shifted back to his normal centre right/fairly moderate viewpoints.

My ILs are I. Their late 70’s and for the last 15 years they have become unbearable!! They are racist, facist, homophones, selfish and so bloody that bottled!! From convos I have had with friends this is quite the norm!!

They sound awful!

Lots of people in their 60s are of course not like that. But I imagine something like GB News can reallt poison someone’s thinking.

My parents are in their 70s and divorced.

My mum is like this. Racist, voted reform, would put an England flag outside if she could get up a ladder.

My dad is left wing and is the opposite. He keeps busy and speaks to real people every day and not just watching GB news and reading Facebook.

My mum is exactly like this now. GB news, Brexit, Trump, Farage - all are truthful, great, etc and my views are ignored. I have tried to explain how these views impact on the future of her grandson but to no avail.

yeah, I heard they were also giving them powerful outboard motors, navigation lessons, GPS handhelds, camouflage gear and special forces training so they could land at night undetected and take out any police on our beaches

I was sure I’d read this post before some time ago…

Funnily enough I've done that, cancelled my lifelong subscription two years ago. I switched to the Financial Times, very detailed and wordy in comparison and has made me more radical and leftish, if anything!

🙄 no need for the sarc ! People are allowed their views, even ops parents believe it or not.

My family members are in their 70s and I’ve had to ask them to stop bringing up politics all the time because they’re getting more and more right wing as time goes by and think Farage is the best thing since sliced bread. Stepdad is constantly looking at YouTube AI generated nonsense and swears it’s all true and is an avid viewer of GB News. I honestly wish I could get them to step away from the bloody internet!

You don't have to visit them if you don't like them.

Exactly this!!!

And to children too (which is why I’m pleased they’re banning social media for under 16s).

Don't like my sarcasm?

Maybe don't post GB News unfacts

not hard to understand is it

or is it?

They are your parents. You’ll miss them when they’re gone. As a PP said, just bat the comments away and change subject. No need to vet their views for moral purity.

I’m interested to know if you still work or have plenty of social life, hobbies etc?

I think there is something around people who retire and don’t have enough “stuff” in their life to replace work. Could be 40, 50, 60, 70 - if you have too much time on your hands it’s easy to go down an internet wormhole. Maybe they never had enough stuff outside work and parenting but being busier before masked it.

It must be deeply trying for you to have such a dim witted mother….

Not helpful, but I heard an update of Ok boomer that made me laugh 'Ok, Doomer'. Maybe try that on them.

Have they always thought like this but masked their opinions to be socially acceptable and now they don't care ?