Hubbie is 49 but little by little seems to be getting increasingly forgetful. We have just got back from holiday where it was just minor things but really noticable. His forgetfulness and interuptions were often so jarring or daft that even the kids raised eyebrows.
How do I tell if he is just not paying attention or if I should be worried about his forgetfulness?
To be honest, he doesn't normally pay attention these days. Most of the time he is tuned out from family life with his head in his phone. Usually I assume he forgot as he was not paying attention. If I ever point out he forgot something, he blames it on his tiredness due to work.
But I'm not so sure. This feels gradual over the last few years. He has not always been like this.
He can forget entire conversations that he actively participated in. He usually acts like I made it up. But on holiday, he forgot the research and plans we did on a watersport he really wanted to try. I'd written a few notes in the UK, so fetched them. He refused to look, sulked at being proved wrong and decided he didn't want to do the activity anymore.
I'm not sure if it counts as forgetfulness, but he just doesn't seem to follow conversations very well. He never used to be like this. I think was more obvious on holiday because we were other adults so more chatting. He misses the context of any conversations. He cannot cope with the use of this/that or he/she from one sentence to another. I have learnt to try to be very specific when I talk to him, repeating the names of things. But he interupts me all the time, urgently and agressively wanting to clarify "WHAT?" or "WHEN?". Often he's interupted as I've just begun to say but sometimes its so obvious or already been said. The kids were really picking up on this during the holiday, because his interuptions were just so daft.
For example (as I feel like I'll be asked):
Driving:
Me: "Turn left, take the beach road"
Him: "WHAT BEACH?"
Me: "um... the one we went to this morning" (And the two previous days!)
Packing to leave:
Me: "I think the blue towels are still outside"
Him: "WHAT BLUE TOWELS?"
Me: "The ones the kids use"
(Blue disney beach towels we have owned for 7 years!)
Eating out:
Me: "Can you pass the salt?"
Him: "WHAT SALT?"
Me: "Um... the salt on the table in front of you"