problems communicating with older parents

[frugalman]

does anyone have these problems?
you're in your mid 20's to mid 30's, and you have a hard time talking and even chatting with your parents..

[Baseball_Boy]

Is there a particular topic or just chatting with your folks in general?

[frugalman]

Is there a particular topic or just chatting with your folks in general?

just chit chatting. i find this problem might be both directions..

[nalababe]

does anyone have these problems?
you're in your mid 20's to mid 30's, and you have a hard time talking and even chatting with your parents..

No I don't have this problem. I've talked with my parents since I was little (now close to 40).

[Mrbj]

Just dont think about it, it'll be just fine. Unless you live with them, you dont need to worry about this. Children are the main resource of comfort for Older parents, so put your self in there situation you may find a way. Generation after generation topics of interest change, so this is part normal.

[dafunkgirl20]

I can somewhat relate, however my little sister who is 4.5 years younger than me can truly relate to you!!
My parents were 36 years old when they had me and 40 when they had my sister - that's a significant age gap, calculate in as well that my parents were brought up in communist Europe and we're brought up in Canada!!
A good example of challenges I faced growing up is - when I turned 18, I wanted to go out to the bar and go clubbing with friends. Well I asked my parents if I could go to the bar. They were disgusted that I wanted to do such a thing - apparently a BAR back home was considered a place where you go to meet sex partners and stuff. I told them it's nothing like that!!! It wasn't until years and year later that I realized that I shouldn't have refered to it as a bar but rather I should have asked to go to the DISCO and everything would have been FINE!!!
I have an easier time communicating with them now, likely because I have children. My sister was never really close to my parents, and we had a lot of resentment because everything we did or wanted to do was compared to whether or not they were allowed to do that back when they were younger!!!!
At times we're also finding it difficult to communicate with them. My parents speak a bit of English - enough to get by... but we converse with them in thier native tongue. Although for me, english is my second language - I tend to think in English as the only people I get to practice my first language with is my parents!
I think the best way to deal with it, is try to understand where they are coming from and let them understand where you are coming from.

[JAGpilot]

I would say I can relate in a few areas, more so with my dad. He is a very old fashioned type of person in terms of his way of thinking. He uses technology (basic stuff) but still relies on notebooks, agendas, and written plans. I feel his mindset is that of an older person when it comes to most things and frequently quotes stuff that is no longer valid (ie. he talks about cars that haven't been produced for 30 years in comparison to modern vehicles). I frequently become infuriated when I try to talk to him about things because he tries to push his outdated/nervous/paranoid opinions onto me. He thinks of the most far fetched and marginally-possible outcomes as an excuse for telling me not to do something or go somewhere.

[gman]

Different generation has different way of thinking. In order to communicate, either one of you needs to the tune to the same "brain wave frequency". Some people has a wider range and some people has shorter range. You have problem to communicate with your older parent and one day you will find your kids have problem to communicate with you too.

I am a "get to the point" person. My mother is a "take forever to get to the point" person. When I ask a question, a 'yes' or 'no' will do. She would just talk about sometime she thinks is relevant and keep going. By the time she is done, we both will forget what I asked.