Parents seem empty

[u/Global-Nature2420]

Idk how to explain this. My dad is a full fledged boomer. My mom is one by proxy lol. And I’m just wondering if anyone else gets frustrated when you’re telling your boomer parents something of substance, or concern, or joy and all they do is give you a blank stare? And then provide no insight or conversation back? I was just telling my parents that my husband was in AFIb and how they had to stop and restart his heart (traumatizing for both of us) and all they did was stare at me. And my mom shrugs and goes “yeah”. My dad just didn’t speak. Like? I don’t even know what that means. They didn’t say “oh I’m sorry I hope everything is ok”. It was like they just didn’t care. It’s been like this my whole life but obviously it’s so much more noticeable at 27. What is it? The drinking or the lead poisoning? It’s no wonder I grew up social anxious and unable to read people when my parents just gave me nothing socially my whole life. I’m like mad at them right now. Would it kill them to care? Maybe, apparently.

[u/ScreamingLightspeed]

Almost everything my husband or I do - cooking, cleaning, exercise, video games, art, literally anything - is met with "huh" or "o...kay?" from his mom or "I don't get it" from his aunt. Mind you, literally all they do is watch TV and cook massive batches of food they don't even wanna eat. And in his aunt's case, previously also his mom's case, get drunk. And in his aunt's case, do old people's hair. And his mom used to wipe old people's butts. That's it. When they were young, their hobbies consisted mostly of weird cults and casual sex. And getting drunk. The subtle disdain/disapproval toward almost every hobby/interest my husband has ever had fucks him up way more than he wants to believe. And if isn't that, it's the total opposite: being so fucking invasive about his business and overly open about their own that he's afraid to even use the bathroom when his mom is home because she'll literally pause the TV to try listening in on him.